


Beneath the Exterior

by Elvenheart993, little_sloth



Series: Snakes and Badgers [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Death Eaters, Drunk Sex, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hogwarts, Marauders' Era, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-09
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-02-12 09:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 77,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12956535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elvenheart993/pseuds/Elvenheart993, https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_sloth/pseuds/little_sloth
Summary: Annette is a Hufflepuff and in her fifth year at Hogwarts, she is struggling with Potions. In order to help her, Professor Slughorn assigns a tutor. The tutor being none other then the cold and boarding Severus Snape. Can Annette form a friendship with the Slytherin, or will he be only her tutor? What will happen if Annette finds him to be more then just a friend?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Welcome to my first ever Harry Potter fanfic. I do not own Harry Potter, just the plot for this story and any OCS. Reviews are most welcome, please leave one. – Little Sloth

Chapter 1

Annette had hardly scratched the surface with her Potions essay, when the strong, gag-inducing smell of vinegar entered the common room of Hufflepuff House. She looked over at the scrawny and tiny first year that Jenna Baum, their House Prefect was leading into the common room. He had dark chestnut hair and freckles spackled across his face. She tried to her best to ignore the stench that the young first year was drenched in and struggled to drag her attention back to her Potions essay, if she did not get a good score on this essay, she would really be in trouble, and she would end up failing the one class she dreaded, the one class that she could not grasp.

 She still struggled with Transfiguration and Charms, but the two classes that she exceled in was Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. Sighing in defeat, she put her quills back into their cases and corked her bottle of ink, with a flick of her wand, the parchment that hardly had a paragraph on it, rolled itself up. The fifth year Hufflepuff sighed and lay back on the couch in the common room, listening to the crackling of the fire as it popped and hissed in the hearth, and looking at potted plants that hung on the low ceiling.

She reached blindly on the coffee table for her Charms book; if she studied hard for Charms then maybe that class would stop being such a headache. The only thing that made her glad that tomorrow was Thursday was the fact that she had Ghoul Studies. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she had Ghoul Studies with Professor Haak, even though it was considered to be an extracurricular activity, Annette found it to be the class she enjoyed the most besides Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. The bell tolled loudly throughout the castle, it even echoed deep into the caverns of Hufflepuff House, Annette sighed and hauled herself off the couch, she had used up her lunch hour in trying to figure out her potions essay, and needless to say it seemed like a total waste of a good meal now.

She gathered her supplies and put them back in her satchel. She grabbed her timetable from off of the coffee table that sat in the middle of the chairs and couches and could hardly hold back a groan of disappoint and frustration, she had Potions after her Charms class with Professor Flitwick, she had already had Potions this morning right after breakfast, she swore that sometimes the fates were against her. Following Jenna Baum out of their House common room and into the noisiness of the kitchen, and the House Elves hard at work, as they joined the rest of the students in the crowded hallways and made their way toward Professor Flitwick’s classroom.

“If you’re really so worried about your Potions grade, why don’t you ask Professor Slughorn if he could assign you a tutor?” Jenna suggested as they found their seats, and waited for the rest of the students to enter, they were streaming in like salmon.

Annette knotted her copper brown hair up into a loose bun, instead of it swaying down her back, she tried not think about how exhausted she looked, she could practically feel the bags under her olive drab green eyes. “You really think he would find me a tutor?” she questioned, just as Professor Flitwick waddled into the classroom, and began his tapping his wand against the podium for silence.

Jenna shrugged, “It wouldn’t hurt to ask.”

Annette nodded in reply and unrolled a fresh scroll of parchment and uncorked her bottle of ink, dipping her quill in, she began to take notes while Professor Flitwick started his lecture on the Concealing Charm.

She would get through this class, and then find some way to either avoid her second dose of Potions Class all together or suffer through it. She knew that avoiding the matter of probably failing the class, and that finding the solution to her problem would be better than faking an illness and going to the Infirmary.

The lower catacombs of Hogwarts were drafty and cold; Annette rubbed the fabric of her robes along the flesh of her goosebump covered skin, wishing she had remembered to grab a jumper while she was in the common room of her house.  She had left Charms after Professor Flitwick had finished his lecture on the Concealing Charm and was busy answering questions from the students that were actually intrigued by the subject. Taking a deep breath, and struggling to stop her teeth from chattering, she stood outside the door of Professor Slughorn’s classroom, she could hear his booming and cheerful voice, and the smell of ingredients brewing together. Trying her best to steel her nerves, she pulled open the door and walked inside.

Students from the Slytherin and Gryfinddor Houses were busily working away at a Befuddlement Draught; Annette carefully made her toward Professor Slughorn. The man was large and wide, but always seemed to be happy. He was nice to Annette, no matter how many times she struggled and ended up failing in creating the potion that was assigned. He was currently chatting with one of his male students, who from his green and silver tie, could easily be seen as a Slytherin. He had long stringy, greasy ink-black hair that went down to his chin, obscuring his face from view. He also seemed to be thin, rather gangly, maybe a little tall for his age of fifteen, a fellow fifth year.

 Annette hesitantly cleared her throat; she could not help feeling nervous.  “Professor Slughorn, may I speak with you?”

The Potions Master turned to face her and grinned. “Hello, Mrs. Negrescu. How may I help you?”

“I’m sorry for interrupting your class, Professor Slughorn…I was wondering if-if maybe you could assign me a tutor? I really don’t want to fail your class.” The Hufflepuff girl replied.

Professor Slughorn grinned and clasped a meaty and pudgy hand onto the scrawny boy’s shoulder; he had just been talking too. “I’m sure, Mr. Snape, would not mind tutoring you. He is excelling in my class; he is one of my brightest students.”

The fifteen year old boy looked up at Annette, his eyes were dark, nearly black. He was also very pale, with long and thin fingers, he brushed some of his string black locks out of his face to get a better look at the fellow fifth year he would be tutoring. “Meet in the library after dinner, we can start then.” His tone sounded bored, as if trying to help with her worst subject was going to be a waste of his time.

“Okay,” Annette smiled ever-so-slightly. She tried to ignore the snickers from James Potter and Sirius Black, the infamous pranksters at Hogwarts. “Thank you.” She carefully made her way around a crowd of students, before she found the door.

Her cheeks flared pink, as she heard James Potter jeering toward Snape, “I can’t believe you are so bad at getting a girlfriend that Professor Slughorn had to assign you a girlfriend.” The cruel laughter of his fellow Gryffindors echoed out into the halls as Annette found herself in the safety of its silence, after the heavy wooden door slammed shut behind her.

She had a tutor, maybe there was some hope left for her dreadful Potions grade after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The fifth year Hufflepuff sighed almost happily as she wrapped her bumblebee colored scarf around her neck and rubbed her fingers together for warmth, she really should have remembered to grab her gloves. She rubbed her hands together again and blew warm air into where she had cupped, there were dirt smudges on her hands and cheeks, maybe a little in her hair, and defiantly imbedded in her fingernails. Herbology really let her relax and forget about all her troubles, at least for a little awhile. She really enjoyed the muggy heat of the greenhouses and smell of foliage and dirt.

“I hate Fanged Geraniums.” Jenna muttered as she finally caught up with her fellow Hufflepuff. Her fingers were wrapped in gauze and bandages; her face was creased with anger and slight pain. “Nasty little things.”

Annette shook her head, a smile stretching across her slightly chilled face. “I think they are adorable.”

“Only _you_ would think that, that plants that bite people are _adorable_.” Jenna retorted hunkering down into her black wool coat like a turtle. Her flame colored hair showing almost like beacon against all of their black attire, her cheeks beginning to turn pink from the cold. “Did Professor Slughorn help you?” her question came out muffled against her scarf. They were heading back to their House Commons room to unthaw before going to the Great Hall for dinner.

“Yeah, I only know his last name.” Annette replied as they were finally greeted by the warmth of Hogwarts.

The Prefect of Hufflepuff House’s Cambridge blue eyes gleamed mischievously, “Oooh, a boy. Maybe you two will fall in love…”

Annette rolled her drab green eyes. “Please…his last name is Snape.” Jenna could be such a hopeless romantic at times; it was one things that Annette liked about her.

“Snape!” Jenna exclaimed after she tapped out Helga Hufflepuff on the barrel in the right way. “As in Slytherin?”

“Don’t be such a spaz.” Annette said, as she unbuttoned her coat and undid her scarf laying them on the back of the couches in the common room after the barrels had slid close behind her and Jenna.

“B-But what if he doesn’t help you, what if he just makes your grade even worse! I mean, Severus Snape hangs around Lucius Malfoy…and Malfoy is a total womanizer!”

“If he tries to grab for my bum or any of my other lady parts, you will be the first to know.” Annette promised as she switched Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology books in her satchel, for her Potions notes and textbooks. It would save time after dinner, not to have rush all the way back to her dorm and then run all the way to the library.

“Slytherins can’t be trusted, Nettie.” Jennie continued to argue as they made their way to the Great Hall.

Annette weaved her way through the crowd toward their House table, “Yeah and Hufflepuffs are marijuana junkies.”

Rumors were always flowing around the school about the different Houses and how their occupants lived up to the name of their House. Didn’t people know not to judge a book by its cover? Annette looked around and noticed Severus Snape writing furiously with a quill against blank parchment that was slowly building up with paragraphs. He always seemed so dedicated to his work, perhaps he would fit better in Hufflepuff then in Slytherin. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the table where it was beginning to fill with food.

She piled chicken and mash potatoes with gravy, and tried to concentrate on her meal rather then the failure she was going to her tutor. She was not meant to work with potions, maybe to grow the ingredients, but certainly not brew them.  A spoonful of warm and buttery mash potatoes just met her tongue when she heard some clearing their throat, directly behind her.

She swallowed down the starch food project with the pumpkin juice that was in her goblet, and turned to look at Severus Snape.  He was defiantly talker then her, maybe because he was lanky. Annette shook her head; she was used to being what her mother preferred to call Pixie-size.

“Are you done eating?” he questioned, his tone still had same bored tone to it.

She finished her goblet of pumpkin juice and smiled a little. “I’m all set.”

She followed her fellow fifth year to the library where Madame Pince was busily putting books back into their proper spots. She scowled as the pair entered and they unloaded their school supplies. She opened her Potions book to the one they were on, and tried not to let out a sigh of frustration. It was Swelling Solution, why anyone would want to have to touch puffer fish eyeballs, she would never know.

Annette glanced over at Severus as he took the seat beside her and opened up his own potions book. The Hufflepuff glanced at the Slytherin before feeling guilt beginning to gnaw at her insides.

“I’m sorry; this is going to be a waste of your time. I don’t know anything about potions. I am Potions-Stupid.” She admitted drawing her drab green eyes back to her book, trying to look at Severus’s scowling face.

“You are not stupid, you just don’t understand potions.” He said in response, “I can help you with that.”

“I’m hopeless…you’ll just going to end up running away in frustration.” Annette replied, but Severus did not budge from his spot, instead he looked over at her. His dark pools meeting her drab green eyes.

“I don’t understand why you need puffer eyes in the potion. I mean, I don’t want to have to touch some poor fish’s eyeballs.” Annette’s face scrunched up in disgust.

“Since puffer fish are creatures that are normally smaller in normal size, their ability to expand their size makes them a key ingredient for the Swelling Solution.” Severus explained, trying his best not to talk to her as if she was a child.

“Oh…” Annette said and scribbled down the tidbit in her notebook, which was actually a leather-bound blank journal with lined pages.

“Do you know what the counter potion is to a Swelling Solution is?” he questioned, trying not look bored out of his skull.

“That would be a deflating drought.” Annette answered, she felt somewhat proud of herself for knowing the answer.

Severus nodded. “See you are not ‘Potions-Stupid’, you simply just need them to be more clearly explained too you.”

Annette smiled a little, “Your confidence in me is too much. I will end disappointing you in the end.”

The lanky, greasy-haired Slytherin sighed, “You will pass Potions. Not with flying colors but you will pass it.”

Annette looked over at Severus. “Could you help me with the Draught of Peace?”

Severus nodded, “Of course, it should not be an issue.”

The Hufflepuff girl grinned. “Fantastic. I will see you tomorrow then in Slughorn’s Potions classroom after my Herbology class. So that would be about an hour before supper. If you don’t mind that is…”

Severus shrugged, “That will work with schedule too.”

They both gathered up their satchels and supplies, leaving the library after about two hours of discussing the Swelling Solution and the major side-effects of it. The discussion and the notes that Annette took while Severus explained were going to be very helpful in completing her essay about the solution. She glanced over at Severus and could feel herself blushing just a little. He had walked her all the way back to her House, she did not even ask.

“Thank you for helping me and for walking me back.” She said, trying not to feel nervous. She had never really talked to anyone of the male side of species besides her own brother. “You didn’t have too.”

Severus shrugged again, if he wasn’t talking to her about Potions and their ingredients, he did not seem to talk very much at all. “I will see you tomorrow.”

Annette smiled a little in reply, and once he was gone from view and the echoing sound of his shoes had stopped, she tapped ‘Helga Hufflepuff” on the barrels and walked into the common room. Jenna was stretched out on a couch reading for Charms class.

Before she could say a word, Annette answered her overflow of questions that were soon to spring forth. “He was polite and did not try to make a move on me. I swear.”

With that she plopped down into one of the arm chairs and pulled out her Potions essay on Swelling Solutions in order to finish it and hand it in a few days ahead of time.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Annette was nervous. So nervous that her hands were shaking, she hated this. It felt like there was a bomb ready to explode in the pit of her stomach. She would rather be buried wrist deep in potting soil, rather than waiting like a skittish rabbit for the results on her essay. She decided to try deep breathing exercises, but that only made her choke on the scent of unclean cauldrons and potion ingredients. She fiddled with her black and white strip tie, as Professor Slughorn handed her, her essay, face down, so the fellow Hogwarts student next to her would not see her score. Braving herself for the worst, she unrolled the scroll, gingerly and slowly. When she looked at her score, she sighed in relief.

An acceptable was written at top, along with fast scribbled note from Professor Slughorn, _you are improving, study and practice is key._ Annette smiled as she tucked the parchment into satchel and buckled it closed, so the rest of her books would not fall out. She would have to go the owlery and send letter to her parents later. She also probably pick out something for Severus as a thank-you gift, it was thanks to him that she was improving in the first place.

The bell tolled as the students merged into the crowds of their peers, either heading to their next class or going to enjoy their break. The Hufflepuff fifth year unlatched her satchel and dug around for her timetable. Right after Potions was Muggle Studies. Annette wanted to groan in frustration, learning about light bulbs and electricity was not exactly her type of fun, but at least the Professor was decent. She tucked her Muggle Studies textbook under her arm and made her way to the classroom, nearly bumping into the prefect of her House and best friend Jenna.

The redhead seemed flustered, she was heaving for air as grasped at her Prefect badge. “Remind me, why we decided to sign up for Muggle Studies again?” Her satchel looked about ready to fall apart.

“Because we did not want to die trying to take Study of Ancient Runes.” Annette reminded her, as they made to their class, just in time. They snagged a table in the back, and unloaded a piece of parchment, quill, and a bottle of ink.

“What other class did you chose besides Muggle Studies?” Annette asked, as they waited for their professor.

Jenna smiled, “Divination. It sounded so wicked, I couldn’t help myself but sign up for it.”

Annette shook her head in amusement, if she had taken Divination, she would probably give somebody a bad fortune or worse send them to the infirmary.  Professor Daphne Rucker entered; the room suddenly fell dead silent. The professor had dark black hair, and silver eyes, and she was wearing midnight blue robes. She tapped her wand on the board, as today’s lesson began to show up on the green surface. _The Function of a Telephone._ Jenna and Annette began to scribble down notes, as Professor Rucker explained how the device worked. Annette flexed out her fingers, as they cracked in satisfaction, releasing the tension she had in them after writing notes for so long. She then scrambled to dig out her assignment journal and wrote down: For Next Class, An Essay About How Telephones Would Change the Magical World.  Annette then dug her timetable out once more, and saw that she had a break coming up right after this class, it would be a perfect opportunity for her to thank Severus, after that she would have to hurry off to Care of Magical Creatures.

Jenna disappeared from Annette’s side, in order to break up of a fight between two Ravenclaw girls. Annette crossed her fingers and showed them to Jenna as a sign of good luck, as the Prefect nodded in thanks and then continued to yell at the misbehaving first-year Ravenclaws. The Hufflepuff quickly knotted copper brown hair into a bun in order to be prepared for Care of Magical Creatures. But first, she dug out a small leather purse, the string pulled tight. Inside were Ashwinder eggs, they were not that difficult to find, she had found them in the ashes of the kitchen fireplace, since one of the House-Elves had been careless and had not taken care of the fire properly.

Annette searched the Great Hall fist for the Slytherin Fifth-Year, and then the library, but did not see him either of those places. Sighing, Annette snuggled into her black and yellow stripped scarf and pulled on her gloves, it looked like she would once again be facing the cold of the dungeons. She hated dark and cold places, but if this was going to be the only place where she was going to find him, then she would just have to get over her fears. Swallowing down a lump of nervousness, she made her way down the stairs and to Potions classroom, she had been in previously. She waited outside the door for a moment, to make sure that Professor Slughorn was not giving a lecture. The room was silent as a cemetery; Annette grabbed the knob on the door, and pulled it open, peeking her head inside.

Sitting alone in the front row was Severus Snape.  His greasy-looking black hair was sweeping across a roll of parchment, his face scrunched up in concentration. His black eyes entirely immersed in his task. Annette slowly approached him, and lightly tapped him on the shoulder. Severus looked over his shoulder, and scowled at Annette at first, before his expression softened slightly.

“I-I got an Acceptable on my essay…” She said through stutters of nervousness.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her news, “Am I supposed to give you standing ovation?” To him getting an Acceptable was not exactly something to be excited about.

The Hufflepuff girl shook her head, her drab green eyes now filled with hurt at Severus’s statement, “No, I just wanted to give you these as a thank-you.” She placed the leather purse into the Slytherin’s hand, and left the room before he could say anything else.

Severus sighed, and opened up the satchel. Ashwinder eggs rolled onto the table, and Severus could only sigh at his own idiocy. He did not mean to be rude to Annette, but he was never good at talking to girls. The only woman, who gave him gifts, was his mother. He did not thinking forming bonds with other people was necessary to live. Accept for Lily that is, he had helped her learn about the Magical World without having to be asked. Speaking of Lily maybe he could find her, and ask her why Annette had gone to such lengths to give him a gift. Then he would find Annette and apologize for his rudeness. Hopefully she would still need him to tutor her in Potions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if I do not give Snape’s character justice, but I tried my best, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please leave a comment. - little sloth

Chapter 4

Severus Snape had been wandering the grounds of Hogwarts for what seemed like a lifetime, since he could not find Lily, he looked as if he would just have to gather his courage and speak with Annette Negrescu, himself. He pushed back a stray lock of black hair back behind his ear, and realized that he had seemed to have subconsciously walked his way to where the Care of Magical Creatures class was being held, before he had even realized it. Professor Kettleburn was off to the side lecturing two Hufflepuffs, which were obviously not following the instructions he had given them.

It a moment for Severus to find her, Annette was kneeling beside another fellow Hufflepuff, with hair that had been kissed by fire. Annette own copper hair had been knotted back into a bun. She was leaning over a Jarvery, a creature that resembled an overgrown ferret, she was gently brushing it, before allowing herself to fall back on to her bottom, and grab her notebook in order to jot down a “Keeping Log” into the pages. She lifted her quill from the page, and went to dip it back to her bottle of ink, when she turned to glance over her shoulder, seeing her Potions tutor watching her.

“I’ll be back in a minute, Jen.” She told the Hufflepuff Prefect as she righted herself and brushed imaginary dust from her robes and out of her drab green eyes. With her notebook under her arm, she walked over to Severus. He could see from the tear-stains on her cheeks that she must have been crying earlier.

“What do I owe this pleasure?” she questioned, her voice prickling with anger. Severus could not blame her for being angry with him; he had been rude to her after all.

He pulled out the bag of Ashwinder eggs, “Why did you give me this?”

Annette glared ever so slightly, “For your potion studies, as a thank-you gift for helping me improve my grade.”

“I understand that,” Severus replied, clearing his throat, “But what I don’t understand is why.”

“Because,” Annette’s cheeks began to turn a dusty pink of embarrassment, “Unlike other people you don’t treat me like I’m an idiot.”

Severus sighed and tried to ignore the fact, that the girl that Annette had called, “Jen,” was watching them intently, instead of working on her log for class.

“You’re not an idiot, there are just subjects that some people can understand and others don’t.” He shrugged, and began to walk away, but a thin and small hand clasped onto his wrist.

The Slytherin turned to look at her from over his shoulder, his dark eyes narrowed at her drab green ones. “What’s a subject you’re not good at?” Annette questioned, she wanted to know that this so called “Prodigy of Potions” also had something he was not good at.

Severus shrugged her hand away and glared, “That is not any of your business.”

The storm that had clouded his face, left as quickly as it had shown up, “What’s the next potion you’re working on?”

“Babbling Beverage.” The Hufflepuff girl replied, her arms now crossed over her chest.

“I’ll meet in the library after dinner.” Severus left the grounds of the Care of Magical Creatures class as Annette returned to sit by Jenna.

“What was that all about?” The Prefect questioned, as she refilled the water bowl with a tap of her wand and then did the same with the food dish.

Annette put the Jarvery back into his pen, and then gathered her and Jenna’s notebooks, before she handed them over to Professor Kettleburn. “I don’t know, Severus is really cold and distant. And he is strange.”

The two Hufflepuff’s made their way back inside the castle. “Are you going to ask for a different tutor?” Jenna questioned, both girls were now sitting in the Commons Room of their dorm.

Annette shook her head, putting away her other notebook from Care of Magical Creatures, and dug out her Muggle Studies homework. “No, it’s too late for that. I don’t care if he going to act the way he is, he’s a good teacher and I am actually starting to understand what I am doing.”

Jenna flopped herself sideways in one of the chairs, her legs hanging over one of the armchairs, she was flipping through her assignment agenda, “What creature are we studying after Jarverys?”

Annette glanced up from the paragraph she had been working on, “I think, it’s going to be Fwoopers, right down to bring extra-strong earmuffs. They’re going to be worse than the Mandrakes from our second year in Herbology.”

Jenna grimaced at the memory and scribbled down to owl her mother for extra-strength earmuffs. The bells in the towers above them tolled, signaling that dinner was going to start in the Great Hall. Annette grabbed her potions book and a fresh quill, bottle of ink and parchment before putting them into her satchel and following the Hufflepuff Prefect to the Great Hall. They sat down at their table and dug into roast beef slices that they had put in between warm rolls with melting butter.

“So what do you think of him?” Jenna questioned, as she poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

“I don’t know, I hardly know him.” Annette looked up from her spoonful of squash to see Severus slumped in the hallway, shoving the last spoonful into her mouth, she swallowed it down with water and ran over to the Slytherin.

She knelt down beside him, seeing tiny thorns erupting from his skin. “Oh, Severus…I’ll help you get to the Hospital Wing.” She draped his arm over her shoulder, and allowed him to put most of his weight on her, even though he was taller and weighed more than she did.

“Who did this to you?” she asked, once they made it into the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey had scurried off to get something for the pain and for the urchin needles.

“Black.” Severus hissed through pain, Annette gently took his hand in her own.

“Why would he do such a thing?” the Hufflepuff had never heard of a Gryffindor being so cruel.

Severus shrugged, and winced in pain. Madame Pomfrey came back and gave the young Slytherin several potions to take, and not once did Severus pull his hand from Annette’s as the Urchin Jinx began to wear off. Annette smiled gently at him, as he looked at her sleepily.

“I’ll stay with you, until you fall asleep, Severus.” She said quietly, and turned over her shoulder to see Jenna peering in the doorway, a mischievous grin on her face.

Annette stuck her tongue out at her best friend, and looked back at her Potions tutor, who was now fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When the fifth-year Slytherin awoke, he felt sluggish and his head felt heavy. He turned his head to see Annette, slumped forward in the chair beside the hospital bed he was in. Her hand was still clutched in his. In her lap were her potions notes and book, it was opening to Blabbering Beverage. She slept soundly, her copper hair framing her face like a curtain, the quill in hand nearly slipping out from between her fingers and onto the floor. When Severus went to sit and swing his legs over the bed, the world began to spin, and his forehead landed softly onto Annette’s shoulder, his eyes closed to try to make the dizziness to go away.

The Hufflepuff girl awoke with a start and glanced at Severus; she righted his head and put it back on the pillow. “A-Are you feeling any better?” her face turned crimson when she realized they were still holding hands, she gently released his fingers from his.

Severus nodded and then his face crinkled in confusion, “Why did you stay here with me?” his voice came out sounding like a frog croaking.

Annette poured him a glass of water and handed it to him, he gratefully took it and swallowed it down. She could feel her hands shaking as she answered his question. “I was worried about you…”

Severus kept his normal sour features, the only person who was ever worried about him was his mother, and Lily of course. He never felt this way before toward another girl, and was not sure how to address it. Annette had also tucked him in, and was now gathering her books and other supplies into her satchel.

“Annette, my wellbeing isn’t any of your concern. What you should be worried about is your horrible Potions grade.”

The Hufflepuff fifth-year girl glared at him, her dab green eyes were filled with anger and hurt, the words that came out of her mouth were cold and icy, “Severus Snape, you are an ass!” she stormed out of Hospital Wing and then leaned against one of the walls looking at her timetable.

She rolled her eyes, her first class of the morning was Muggle Studies, and then it was Charms, Transfiguration, and a double of Care of Magical Creatures that was in between Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts.

She stuffed her timetable back into her satchel and made her way back to her dorm, only to bump into the Gryffindor girl, that Severus was head-over-heels in love with. She had red hair and green eyes, her hair was twisted into a bun, and eyes were dark with circles under her eyes.

“You were the one who took Severus to the Hospital Wing, last night right?” she questioned, her normally composure was crumbled to bits.

Annette nodded, “Yeah, I did. And don’t worry, he’s being his usual self.” She scowled and continued on her way to her dorm, but Lily Evans stopped her by setting a hand on the Hufflepuff girl’s shoulder.

“Severus isn’t bad, he’s just lonely, he really is sweet at times.”

 _Sweet?_ Annette scoffed, “He is anything but that. He is complete ass, and needs to get off his bloody high horse.”

Annette left Lily in the hallway, and entered the Hufflepuff dorm after tapping out ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ on the barrels. She went up into the room, she shared with Jenna, and two other fifth years. She said herself of last night’s uniforms and headed into the shower with fresh garments. After she was dressed, she sat on her bed, and tied her hair into braid, keeping it together with a black and yellow ribbon.

When she made it back to the Commons Room, Jenna was waiting for her with a pumpkin muffin in her hand, she handed it over to Annette as they made their usual stroll to the Muggle Studies classroom. They found seats in the back, and waited for their Professor. Annette dug her essay on telephones; this day was either going to be interesting or a total disaster.

 Lily Evans had been shoving James Potter’s advancements toward her all morning; she sat in the library digging out her Herbology homework. The chair across from her squeaked, with the weight that had been added to it. When she looked up, she expected to see James Potter, with his usual wind-blown hair look and his devilish smile. Instead it was Severus, he had a mound of Potions Books with him, and when he cracked the first one open, dust came out in a cloud, which made both students cough.

“So I heard that from someone, that Annette helped you to the Hospital Wing last night.” Lily tried to keep it as casual as possible, while she continued to look over her Herbology notes.

“Yes, but she did not have too. She is just a dimwitted girl that could not possible pass Potions without me helping her.” He replied, not looking up from the book he was engrossed it.

“Severus, she did it because she is a kind and caring person. You shouldn’t degrade people just because they are not as smart as you are.” Lily let out a sigh, “You can be such a git sometimes.”

“I don’t need anyone to save me, Lily.” Severus said, rather coldly.

“Ugh, Severus sometimes you are impossible! When someone does something nice for you, you should at least thank them.” Lily huffed, and returned to her Herbology notes.

Severus sighed, and fidgeted with his silver and emerald striped tie. “Perhaps you are right, a thank you should be enough, and I guess it is the appropriate thing to do.”

When the Slytherin got up from seat, with the pile of books in his, being secured by his chin, he made his way to the librarian’s counter, but before he could get there, he tripped landing hard on his chin. Standing above him were two of the Marauders. Sirius Black and James Potter, Sirius had a smirk on his face, and James walked toward Lily, and draped his arm across her shoulders.

“What do you see in him, Lily? I mean, he doesn’t even wash his hair. It’s so greasy; you could clean the brooms for our Quidditch team for a week.”

Lily shrugged his arm off his shoulder and glared at him, “You truly are a git, James Potter.”

The flame-red haired Gryffindor helped Severus gather his books, while she gave another nasty glare to Sirius Black. “You are both awful.”

Severus checked out the books that he needed and headed out of the library, he could still hear Lily yelling at James Potter and Sirius Black. He was somewhat glad that her and Remus Lupin were made Prefects for their house.

He did not see Annette until after dinner. Her nails were crusted with dirt from Herbology, and she had ink stains on her fingers from working on essays. He found her in the library, using a lamp to light the book she was reading. She glanced up, some bits of her hair and come undone from the braid it was in, and now her hair looked all frizzy. She glanced up at Severus from the book she was reading, there were also dirt smudges on her face. Her concentration faded, and face fell into one of anger.

“What do you want, Severus?” she questioned looking back at her Care of Magical Creatures book.

“I came to apologize, my rudeness was uncalled for.” He said simply and sat down across from her. “Do you still need help with the Babbling Beverage? Do you still want me to tutor you?”

“I’ve been avoiding my Potions homework, I’m not behind or anything, it just makes me feel stupid.” Annette replied, putting her Care of Magical Creatures notes and book aside, she dug out her Potions book, and flipped it open to the page on Babbling Beverage.

Severus shifted from sitting across from her, to sitting next to her. The lanterns began to cast their shadows, as Severus explained the Babbling Beverage to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the sixth chapter of Beneath the Exterior, I hope you enjoy it! And please leave a comment, as always I do not own Harry Potter, just the idea for this story and my OC, Annette. -little sloth

Chapter 6

Annette huffed a lock of hair out of her face, and tried to tuck the copper strand behind her hair, but it wasn't any use, her hair was unraveling from the bun she had hastily tucked it in. The fanged geranium she was taking care of was busily trying to snap at her fingers, as she struggled to fertilize it with some of the Jarver excrement she had savaged from Care of Magical Creatures. The humidity in the greenhouse also was not helping her concentration, sweat was beginning to moisten her face, leaving it trickle down to her neck. Annette sighed again, and backed away from the fanged geranium in order to remove her dragon-skin gloves, which only happened to make her hands feel cooler, she waved goodbye to Professor Sprout, who also the Head of Hufflepuff House, and smiled in relief as the cool breeze hit her skin. She took a handkerchief from out of her pocket and dried off her face and neck, before tucking it away again.

The Greenhouse was her go to place to relax, but today it was also her go to place for Potion ingredients, not for her, but for Severus, as thank-you gifts. She felt that he deserved them for having to put up with her idiocy when it came to the craft of brewing liquid magic. The fifth-year Hufflepuff unfolded her timetable from her satchel as she leaned against the look at it. She had used her free period to help out Professor Sprout with weeding and fertilizing the plants in the greenhouse, after a quick shower, she would have to scurry off to Muggle Studies, and then to Potions. She was glad that she had Jenna has a Potions partner, neither of them were good at Potions, but where Jenna exceled at Charms and Transfiguration, Annette exceled at Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology. They both had their strengths and weaknesses, they helped each other out, they were there for each other, that was what made them best friends.

Annette made her way into her sleeping quarters, and grabbed a fresh uniform and a grey sweater, black and yellow tie, and a black skirt, with black and yellow knee-high socks, that would be hidden with both the uniform and her Maryjane's that tied up in a perfect bow. After she was dressed and showered, the Hufflepuff girl grabbed her Muggle Studies book and quill and notebook, she also grabbed what she needed for Potions and quickly ran a hair brush through her copper tresses before she ran out of Hufflepuff House in a sprint and nearly bumped into Sirius Black. The Gryffindor, who was in the same year as her, was indeed handsome, in fact her best friend was over the moon for him, but Annette did not care for him, not after what he did to Severus.

"You're the one that's been hanging out with Snivelly." His grin was nothing more than a nasty sneer.

"Yes, and you're the one the one that sent him to the Hospital Wing for no good reason." Annette fumed; her hand was now wrapped around her wand. She flicked her wand ever so slightly and small sparks flared from her wand.

"Annette! We're going to be late for class!" Jenna exclaimed, as she reached her best friend, and grabbed her sleeve and began pulling away from Sirius Black. Dragging her toward their Muggle Studies class, leaving Sirius to stare at his fingers, they had suddenly become floppy, were moving around like jelly as if he did not have any bones.

Sirius glared at the back of the fifth-year Hufflepuff girl with copper hair as he made his way into the Gryffindor Commons room. James Potter, who was working on an essay for Charms, busted out laughing once he saw his best friend. "What the bloody hell happened to you, Padfoot."

"That Hufflepuff girl that hangs out with that greasy git did it," He glanced over at Remus Lupin.

The Prefect looked up from his own Charms essay, and sighed. "Whatever reason she had to jinx you, Sirius, she probably had a very good reason."

Sirius sighed, "Can you fix it or not, Moony?"

Remus Lupin shook his head, "No, but Madame Pomfrey should be able too."

"You're a Prefect. Can't you give her detention or something for doing this?" Sirius asked, as they made their way to the Hospital Wing.

Moony shook his head again. "You jinxed Snape, and she jinxed you back in his stead, it seems fair to me."

The pair sat down as Madame Pomfrey came in and easily undid the jinx with the couple waves of her wand, "Now get out of here, you and you're friends are nothing but trouble." The medi-witch seemed more irritated than usual as they left the infirmary.

Sirius grumbled all the way to Potions class with the rest of the Marauders, as they made it to their seats just as the bell rang. Severus was as usual was sitting by himself, scribbling in his Potions book.

He looked up as Sirius approached him, both of their eyes silted into glares. "You're _girlfriend_ turned my fingers into jelly." Sirius hissed angrily.

Severus sneered, "You deserved it. It was well justified, I should think." He replied, "And she isn't my girlfriend, I simply tutor her. She needs the help."

Sirius glared at him and was about to knock Severus from his stool, when Professor Slughorn walked in. Padfoot made his way back to seat beside Prongs, as class began.

Annette scribbled down the last of her notes for Muggle Studies, just as the bell rang to end class. Their Professor quickly handed back everyone's essays with a swoosh of her wand, as Annette grabbed hers, and Jenna also grabbed her own.

"Why does the last class of the day have to be the worst?" Jenna questioned as they made their way down to the dungeons for Potions Class.

Annette tried to ignore the cold of the dungeons as she accidently bumped into her Potions Tutor, and nearly landed on her backside, but Severus grabbed her hand and pulled her back upright. Both of them blushed redder then apples as Severus let go of her hand.

"Are you getting back your Blabbering Beverage potions today?" Severus asked casually, ignoring the snickers of James Potter and Sirius Black.

"Yeah, I'll let you know how I did. Library after dinner?" Annette asked, they had both moved to lean against the cold stone wall in order to not be squished by their fellow rushing students."

Severus nodded, and then disappeared into the crowd as Annette made her way into the Potions classroom and sat down beside Jenna. The first thing that Professor Slughorn did was hand back the grades that they had been given on their Potions.

Annette looked down at the piece of parchment that had her grade on it, she stared at it in disbelief. Exceeds Expectations was written, she glanced over at Jenna, both girls squealed in delight, muffling their excitement with their hands cupped against their mouths.

The Hufflepuff fifth-year entered the library, she had not seen Severus at dinner, and was afraid that someone had hurt him. When she saw him sitting at a table, studying for Defense Against the Dark Arts, she sighed in relief. With joy over bubbling within her, she hugged Severus around his chest and planted a kiss on cheek, whispering repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"What have I done to get this much affection from a girl, I hardly know?" Severus questioned, his cheeks were flushed pink.

Annette cleared her throat, her own face now bright red. "I'm sorry, it is just that without your help, I might have gotten this…" she dug her Potions grade from out of her satchel and handed it to Severus.

Severus half-smiled very little, not that he would say it aloud but he was feeling slightly proud of the Hufflepuff fifth-year. "I only helped you to understand Potions better and in a clearer way, you did this all on your own."

Annette shook her head and sat down beside him, "Without you, I would be failing Potions." She dug out her Potions materials and her assignment notebook, "Next we're making the Dogbreath Potion, and the next essay isn't due until Friday and that is going to be on Fergus Fungal Budge."

Severus nodded, "Those Potions should not be an issue to help you to understand. You are not as dimwitted as I thought you were."

Annette sighed, "I will take that as a compliment. What are you studying in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Theory and Stunning Spell, what about your class?"

Annette looked down at her assignment notebook again, "Conflict Avoidance and Shield Charm should be easy enough, I guess. We're switching from Jarvers to Fwoopers. I hope I don't go deaf, even with the extra-strength earmuffs…"

Severus was once again looking at Defense Against Dark Arts notes, before he let the thought fully process, the words slipped out of her mouth. "I'm not very good with creatures, magical or not."

"So even you have a weakness?" Annette grinned, "You don't have very good people skills either."

Severus looked up at her, "I have friends, Lucius Malfoy, and some other Slytherins."

The fifth-year Hufflepuff sighed, "Never mind…."

"I prefer to be alone, that way I don't have to deal with useless conversations…"

Annette's face fell with hurt, "Should I leave?"

Severus shook his head, "No, I have come to somewhat enjoy your company, Annette."

The copper-haired girl with olive drab green eyes quickly hid her face, behind her Potions book. "Okay, I'll stay for a while."

Severus put away his notes and book for Defense Against the Dark Arts, "Do you need me to explain to you, the Dogbreath Potion?"

Annette nodded, "If you wouldn't mind."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment or a like, I will be updating this story on Tuesdays and Saturdays. I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
> -little sloth

The Owlery was full of hooting messenger owls, feathers, and bird excrement. Some of them were sleeping, some hardly had their eyes open, and some just continued on with their hooting. Annette sighed as she gave the owl she had selected, the letter she had written to her parents. It was a barn owl, and it was adorable, how she wished that it was her own, but her parents could not afford to buy her one. Annette watched as the owl took flight and into the open sky, as she put her gloves back over her now cold hands, and rewrapped her scarf around her neck. She let out a sigh, which only warmed up her cheeks and nose, as she made her way down the narrow and tightly winding staircase, and toward the greenhouse were she was meeting Jenna, to help her water all the plants, not only in one greenhouse but all of them. With Professor Sprout sick with a nasty cold, somebody had to make sure none of the foliage died. Annette was doing this for her love of plants; Jenna was doing for the extra credit that Professor Sprout had offered up. The fifth-year Hufflepuff lugged a watering can into the greenhouse were her House’s Prefect already was. She was busily watering each pot as carefully as possible, especially around the fanged geraniums.

As Annette began to water a different section, the unopened letter in her pocket crinkled, as if demanding her to open it. It was a letter from her parents, announcing her eldest and only brother, who had graduated the year before Annette become a fifth-year, Quinn’s engagement to a young and attractive witch, who worked as a Curse Breaker. Her brother on the other hand had followed in their father’s footsteps, and had become a part of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. Her mother was a Medi-Witch. And just like both their parents, Quinn had graduated out of Hogwarts from Ravenclaw House. He was two years older than Annette, and had a brain maybe even the famous Muggle, Einstein would be jealous of.

Her parents just did not understand, her brother being the firstborn had gotten everything that they had to offer first, when Annette was born, she swore she got whatever was left over. She did not have beauty or brains. They were expecting far too much from her, she would not be graduating top of her House like Quinn did, she would not be joining either the Medical or Law Enforcement careers, instead what she wanted to do, was to become a Magizoologist or a Herbologist, or perhaps even both, something that she could become on her own. Annette hefted the watering can once more and continued to water the plants, they only had two more greenhouses to go after this, and then they could start working on their Potions assignment, which was due tomorrow.

            After a quick shower, Annette made her way down into the commons room of the Hufflepuff dorm, in her pajamas, in order to sip at some tea and check her Potions essay for any errors before going to bed. Jenna had already finished hers, and was busy enjoying the perks of being a Prefect, by soaking in the massive bath. Annette smiled a little, her essay did not have any errors in it and thanks to Severus for double-checking it over lunch, ignoring the laughter from the Marauders and the stares from their own Houses, and he had proved that her essay was a good one. With a flick of her wand, she watched the parchment scrolled itself up; she even charmed it with none-crinkling charm for when she would be carrying in her satchel tomorrow. Annette glanced down at her satchel, the unopened letter had been moved from her school robes and into one of the side-pockets, and she had not even bothered to unseal the wax that held the letter inside its envelope.

Sighing, Annette returned to sleeping quarters and changed back into her jumper, tie, skirt, and stockings before pulling on her robes once more, and shuffling her feet back into her shoes. With her satchel swung over her shoulder, and the slightly darkened corridor illuminated from the light coming from the tip of wand. She made her way into the library, to see that the place was quiet as usual, students were scattered around the tables, either from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, and some of Annette’s fellow fifth year Hufflepuffs. There was even a couple of Slytherins. One she recognized right away as Severus Snape, the other had blonde hair and icy blue eyes; it had to be Lucius Malfoy.

Annette found a quiet place for herself to sit, and took out the letter from who she thought was from her parents. Instead, it was from her brother, Quinn. She struggled to not let out a groan of annoyance as she flicked her wand in order to remove enough of the wax to get the letter out. It was written in her brother’s usual messy handwriting, wishing her the best of luck on her O.W.L.s. at the end of the semester, and the name of his bride to be finally came to light, Lan Kwan, her parents had immigrated from China, and Lan was born in England, but was still fluent in Chinese.  Her brother had same drab olive green eyes as his little sister, but his hair was more a light caramel like their mother’s, he was built like barge like their father. Broad shoulders and chest, and a grin that make any woman swoon. His bride-to-be was willowy and lithe, as beautiful as a doll with long ink black hair and eyes the color of the ocean on stormy day, grey and daunting, as if one could get lost in them. The picture moved, both people waving and grinning, and then Lan put her hand over mouth, a soundless giggle as Quinn whispered something in her ear.

The fifth-year Hufflepuff tucked the picture back in with the letter, and then put both in the envelope. She tucked it back into the pocket of her satchel, and made to stand, moving the chair back as quietly as possible. She was about to make her way into the hallway when a she felt a hand grasp her shoulder, she glanced over her shoulder, to see Severus Snape looking back at her. Annette’s wand was once again illuminated at the tip, she gently removed Severus’s hand from her shoulder and turned to face him.

“I don’t need any help with Potions, Severus. I’m fine, for now.” Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

Severus’s eyes became downcast as he stared at his own shoes for a moment before looking back up at the girl he was tutoring in Potions, “That’s not the reason, why I stopped you. I wanted to walk you back to your dorm, you shouldn’t be walking in these corridors alone, and the staircases can be tricky.”

Annette blinked at him for several moments, trying to figure out what he was saying. “Are you saying that you care about my wellbeing, Severus?”

The fifth-year male Slytherin’s face flushed pink for a moment, “Perhaps.” But the way he said it was stiff and cold, like he was made out of an icicle.

Annette shrugged it off, and began to walk back to the Hufflepuff dorm. Her fingers were slightly tangled into the black fabric of Severus’s sleeve. Both of their wands were now lit with the _lumos_ spell as they made their way back toward the kitchens.

“Did you really jelly-finger jinx Sirius Black?” Severus questioned in a hushed tone.

Annette’s face began to burn red with embarrassment. The answer came out in a nervous whisper, “Yes.”

 “Why did you do it?” Severus could not help wanting to know, and also did not help that somewhere in his cold exterior, he was somewhat proud of the fact that Sirius had mistaken her, this skinny, plant and magical beast obsessed, slightly quirky, and maybe even possibly adorable Hufflepuff, was his girlfriend.

“Because what he did to you, was downright cruel, and the jelly-finger jinx was the only one I could of think of at the moment. Next time, he might not be so lucky, maybe I’ll send a bunch of Fwoopers at him.” Annette grinned.

Severus shook his head, trying to conceal his laughter, but the smile on his face did not help him in the least, “Annette, if you ever did that, you would be sending Black to Saint Mungo’s and to the insanity wing.”

“True, I guess I shouldn’t be that cruel, to the bloody idiot.” When she turned to look at where they were, they were standing in front of the barrels that would lead to the Hufflepuff commons room.

Before she could react, Severus had tucked a stray a lock of her copper hair behind her ear, and had ever so slightly brushed a kiss to her cheek. Annette stared at him, dumfounded. “Why did you…?”

Severus shrugged, “It was nothing but a simple recuperation of the affection, I received from you, the day before.” And with that he turned on his heel, and disappeared down the hallway.

            It took Annette a few moments to gather her wits, as she tapped out ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ on to the barrels with her wand, and made her way inside the commons room, she made her way up the stairs and to her sleeping quarters. She quickly changed out of her robes and the clothes underneath, and into her nightwear. A gown that was soft and warm, and felt like a lamb’s wool, with a badger sewed in on the front by her own mother. Annette, turned the lamps wick down low enough that the flame went out. She could feel that her cheeks were still red, but deep-down in her heart, she knew that Severus did not love her, possibly could not, not the way that he felt toward Lily Evans. She turned over and buried herself underneath the covers of her bed, and tried her best not to think about Severus Snape, and his smile, and how his lips had felt against her cheek for just those mere seconds.


	8. Chapter 8

Jenna Baum found her best friend and fellow fifth-year Hufflepuff buried around mounds of Potions books and ones on ingredients. She could see tear-stains on the copper-haired girl’s cheeks. Her olive drab green eyes were mix of confusion and uncertainty. Jenna knelt down beside Annette and gently took the book out of her hands. She set it down on the stack that had been piling up beside Annette’s left thigh. They now sat across from each other; the only light in between them was coming from the tip of Annette’s wand and the _lumos_ spell. Jenna quickly cast a _Muffilato_ spell, in order to keep their fellow peers from hearing their conversation.

“What’s wrong, you’ve been like this for two days…” Jenna’s voice was filled with concern, as she tried to get Annette to open up.

Annette sighed and glanced down at her fingernails, which were encrusted with dirt, as were her fingers. She had been using her free periods to help out Professor Sprout with the foliage in the green houses, she had been keeping her homework up to date, but was once again struggling in Potions, and this was causing even Professor Slughorn to be concerned, which was why he had pulled Jenna Baum aside after Potions class.

“You haven’t been seeing Severus for help in Potions have you?”

Annette shook her head, “I think I might be…” she took a deep and shaky breath as she struggled to hold back tears. “I probably am…most positively could be…smitten.”

Jenna tried to stop her jaw from dropping, but without much luck, she had to put a hand over her mouth, to stop herself from giggling to loud. “Merlin’s beard, are you smitten over Severus?!” she whispered in an excited giggle, glad that the spell was still holding.

“Yes, I think so.” Annette replied, her fingers were now intertwined and on her lap, she let out a sigh of relief.

“But he doesn’t feel the same way…” Jenna said, her face falling as the excitement melted and she embraced Annette.

“No, he likes Lily Evans. Probably, because she’s brilliant.” The Hufflepuff girl replied.

“You are too!” Jenna said, and hauled Annette to her feet with the yank of her hands; she lowered the spell that she had cast, as she practically dragged Annette out of the library and into the hallway.

“Maybe if I was better at Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, he would like me, like how he is in love with Lily.” Annette said as they made their way to the Hufflepuff House. 

Jenna tapped the barrels in the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff, as they entered the commons, Annette dropped her messenger bag and both girls went into the room to get their supplies for Care of Magical Creatures and Potions.

Instead of double potions or double Care of Magical Creatures, they had double Transfiguration instead, they had already had their first section after breakfast. Annette had skipped lunch in order to try to make herself understand Potions better, and she had already used up her free period. Sighing, Annette grabbed her extra-strength earmuffs and her Potions essay about Fergus Fungal Budge. She cast an anti-crushing, and an anti-wrinkle charms on to her paper, before storing it into her bag. She made her way back down the stairs, and glanced at her timetable. After Potions, they had Transfiguration again. Today they had to turn a dinner plate into a mushroom.

“Are you nervous about O.W.L.S?” Annette questioned, as they left the dorms.

Jenna shrugged, “They shouldn’t be too bad, hopefully,” she then narrowed her eyes at her best friend, “Stop trying to change the subject, what are going to do about your feelings for Severus?”

Their footsteps echoes as they descended into the dungeons, Annette let out another sigh, “Wait, I guess. We hardly even have a friendship started; all I know about him is that he is brilliant at Potions and D.A. And he isn’t very good with animals. That’s it. What do you call that?”

“A very odd road to friendship, but waiting sounds like a good plan.” Jenna and Annette claimed a seat in the middle of the class.

Annette nearly jumped out of her skin as she took her notebook, ink bottle, and quill out of her satchel, because when she came up, Severus was standing there.

“We’re about to start class soon…” Annette whispered, Professor Slughorn was busy casting the day’s Potion instructions on the board.

“I know, but I haven’t seen you since Wednesday.  And you won’t be able to keep your Potions grade…”

“I’ll meet you in the library after dinner.” Annette reassured him, as he turned and left the Potions classroom.

The bitter-chill of an incoming winter, sent shivers up the Hufflepuff girl’s spine, as she struggled to wrap her scarf around her neck. She would be going back to Panswick to celebrate Christmas with her family. She still needed to go shopping for presents. Maybe she could get something for Severus? Just the thought of it, made her cheeks start turning pink. Annette glanced over at the birdcages that were set up, this time they would have to move in doors, to take care of Fwoopers because the holiday break was fast approaching. She made her way from the green houses, she had been there briefly to check on the plants. That was until Professor Sprout shooed her off, so she would not be late for Care of Magical Creatures.

Annette entered the classroom and slowly shut the door, in order to not startle the Fwoopers, which were in large silver birdcages. Professor Kettleburn was busy waving the instructions on to the board of how to care for Fwoopers. Once everyone was finished handing in their old journals about Jarver care, they were given new ones to fill for the Fwoopers. Annette and Jenna picked out a Fwooper that had Aureolin yellow feathers and Maya blue eyes. Annette quickly casted a Silent charm on it, as Jenna filled the food dish, leaving Annette to fill the water bowl. They both needed to decide on a name for the magical African bird. She was glad it was female, which could make it easier in giving it a proper name.

Once Annette had filled up the water-dish and the bird was happily making the bell that hung in her cage ring, she plopped down beside Jenna.

“We need to give her a name, what should we call her?” Annette questioned, as she readied her quill to write down the name, in her and Jenna’s shared journal for class.

Jenna stared at the bird for a moment, “What about Kiki?”

Annette grinned, “Perfect.”

After the bells tolled, Annette and Jenna made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Annette plopped down and let out a sigh of relief. “Ugh, I many times do you think we’re going to have to recast that Silence charm?”

“According to Professor Kettleburn, every month, these birds are going to be our last creatures to take care of for the year.”

“And then we have our O.W.L.S…” Annette said.

“We’ll get through them.” Jenna said with a reassuring smile.

“But with Potions…” Annette could feel her nerves getting the best of her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, when Severus sat down beside, the Great Hall was slowly filling with their peers.

“That is why I’m tutoring you.” Severus said with a weak smile.

“The only way I can pay you back for it, is by giving you ingredients for Potions.” Annette said, and Severus’s weak smile, almost turned smug.

He replied with, “That is fine.” He then made his way toward his own table, where he was stopped by Lily Evans.

Annette loaded her plate with food, trying to ignore Severus’s only love. The way Severus looked at Lily, it made Annette jealous. And she hated the feeling, she hated the fact that she had a crush on Severus Snape.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, they truly make my day! I am so glad so many people are enjoying this story. I will post chapter 10 on Tuesday, and chapter 11 on Sunday. Unless you would like me to post three chapters a week instead of two? For now, I will be enjoying my birthday weekend. Thank you all so much for the continued support of Beneath the Exterior. :)
> 
> -Little Sloth

The chill of the coming winter sent crumbling and dead leafs into the wind, as Annette wrapped her scarf tighter around herself and desperately tried to warm her hands while rubbing them together. Why was she always forgetting things? She was sitting cross-legged in front of the lake, she had Transfiguration, Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures essays that were going to be due in two days. She was not really worried about those grades; it was Potions and Muggle Studies that were giving her a migraine. The Hufflepuff glanced down at the blank parchment and then at her Muggle Studies book with disdain, she was supposed to be writing about an invention called the VCR, invented by a Muggle named Sony. Maybe it would be better if she worked on her Potions essay instead? Holding back a sigh of frustration, she cracked open her textbook and glanced at the page that her assigned potion was on, the Pepperup Potion. Just as she was about to dip her quill into the bottle that held her ink, a familiar voice stopped her as the ink made a drop-splatter appear on her parchment.

“Why are you out here?” Severus questioned, and sat down beside her, his own satchel now resting on his lap. “I was hoping the cold air would revive my brain.” Annette admitted, “I think it is fried from all of the other homework.” The Slytherin dug out his Defense Against the Dark Arts book and began to take notes on the chapter that was assigned. “Perhaps if you weren’t procrastinating…” he smirked, and Annette’s cheeks flared pink.

“I’m not, it’s just that I have to write an essay that explains in detail the differences and similarities between a Muggle cough drop, and the Pepperup Potion.” Annette retorted.

“I can help you with the essay, are you doing the Potion as well?” Severus was already tucking his supplies back into his satchel.

Annette nodded and with a flick of her wand, all of her textbooks, parchment and writing supplies went back in her own messenger bag. Snape waited for her, as they walked back inside Hogwarts and began to make their way down into the dungeons, Annette nearly slipped on one of the slick stone steps, when Severus grabbed her by the elbow before she landed on her backside. His eyes were soft, not as cold as they used to be. She smiled in thanks, and gave her a nod, as if it was no big deal. His eyes suddenly went from soft to being hardened like coal when she saw, who he was glaring at. James Potter and Sirius Black were in the Potions supply closet, switching the labels on the ingredients that were being held in the clear glass bottles.  

“Bloody gits, do you know what kind of danger you are causing?” Severus snapped, his wand gripped tightly in his hand.

“Don’t get your gritty knickers in a twist, Snivelly. It’s just a bit of fun.” Sirius replied with a smirk, which resembled a fox in a coop full of chickens.

Annette also untucked her wand from where she had in the sleeve of her robe, her wand already lighting up with magic. “ _Herbifors.”_  She cast the spell the same time that Severus said aloud the disarming charm, both Sirius and James’s wands went flying out of their hands, skittering on to the floor, while flowers also sprouted out of their hair.

Professor Slughorn could be heard shuffling out of his office and out into the hallway, he had scrolls of parchment tucked under his arm, and his wand was out. He glared at the foursome, “What do you four think you are doing casting spells in the halls? You know that that is not allowed.” His face was almost has red as a cherry with anger.

 

Annette could feel herself shaking nervously as she tried to speak, but it was Severus who put his hand on her shoulder and looked at Professor Slughorn. “We were stopping Potter and Black from messing with the Potion ingredients, Sir.”

 

Professor Slughorn glanced at the Hufflepuff girl and his Potions Protégé, before looking at Sirius and James Potter. James who now had flowers sprouting, out of his unruly hair, and Sirius who was now glaring at Annette and Severus. He then went into the closet where most of the ingredients were kept and came back out. Slughorn dug out two pink detention slips for Sirius and James, from what it said on the slips, it looks like they would be helping Madame Pomfrey with scrubbing out the chamber pots in the Hospital Wing.

 

Padfoot and Prongs began their walk toward the library, they could not be pleased with themselves. Their prank and failed, and now they were going to have detention. The worst of it all, was that James and Sirius had just lost twenty points for Gryffindor, while Slytherin and Hufflepuff had gained twenty.

 

Severus and Annette walked into the Potions classroom, and Annette let out a sigh, it was a shaky sigh of disbelief. “I cannot believe I grew plants into James Potter’s hair.”

 

Severus Snape was actually smiling, nearly laughing, “It was quiet amusing.”

 

Annette dug around in her satchel for her Potions book, the ingredients to make the Pepperup Potion and a tiny bag that had several Muggle cough drops in it. She carefully sliced the cough drops in half and with Severus’s help, they were able to analyze and get the ingredients that made it. He then watched her as she nervously made the Pepperup Potion, helped her get it into a vile without spilling it. She labeled it with her last name, year, and house, and then began to write her essay. Severus stayed by her side, scribbling away in his Potions notebook, until her essay was completed. She set both vials of the cough drop and Pepperup Potion, and her essay in to her labeled cupboard for Professor Slughorn to pick up later. She then glanced over at Severus, who was still scribbling away with a quill in his Potions book.

 

She then hugged Severus from behind, her clasped together hands resting against his chest, she whispered a thank you into his ear, and then walked out of the classroom, leaving Severus to listen as her footsteps faded down the hall. The Slytherin waited another minute or two, before he gathered up his work, and put it in his satchel, he then hastily made his way to the library where he found Lily Evans, working on a Charms essay, the female Gryffindor looked up from her work as the troubled Slytherin sat down across from her.

 

Lily smiled, and it nearly took Severus’s breath away, but he did not want to her know how he felt about her, and simply plastered on his normal “humbug” face. It was Lily’s face which contorted into confusion when she saw James Potter come in with flowers still growing out of his hair, and a snickering Sirius right behind him. Remus was already sitting at a table, helping Peter with his Charms homework.

 

Lily glanced over at James Potter and then back to Severus. “Did you do that to James?”

 

Severus smirked, “No, I did not. He did deserve it though.”

 

Lily’s face was now creased with anger, as Severus left the library and walked his way toward the Greenhouses.


	10. Chapter 10

Annette was leaning over a pot of Devil’s Snare when the fifth year Slytherin found her in the Greenhouse, the section that she was in was darky, gloomy, and humid. She was wearing goggles and she had a spray-bottle in one hand, her copper hair was yanked back into a hasty bun with the use of her necktie as the holder. The squirt bottle was labeled as anti-pixie spray, Professor Kettleburn must have left their cages doors opened, which meant that now he and Professor Sprout were in the Head of Hufflepuff House’s office arguing so loud, you could hear it in the greenhouse. She misted the Devil’s Snare with the spray and then watered the pot it was in, from a jet of water that was produced from the tip of her wand. She glanced over her shoulder, and looked over at Severus. He gave her his hand, and hauled her to his feet. Once she was steady, he handed her a handkerchief from the pocket of his robes, so Annette could wipe the dirt off of her face.

The Hufflepuff girl could feel her face warming, as she took the offering, and cleaned the smudges of dirt from the surfaces of her cheeks and forehead. It did not help that their fingers had touched for a mere second. When she handed it back to Severus; there was almost a smile on his face.

They left the greenhouse, heading toward the Great Hall, their fellow peers already gathered for the noon meal, after Severus was going to aid Professor Slughorn in re-labeling some of the Potions ingredients, while Annette was off to Transfiguration and then Charms. Today they had double Transfiguration, tomorrow would be double Potions. The Potions protégé was about to leave Annette, so she could hang out with her fellow badgers. Instead, Annette stumbled her way toward him, nearly spilling the glass of pumpkin juice she held in her hand.

“Severus, I have a Quidditch match on Saturday. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind coming to watch…” Annette tried to hide her nervousness behind a sip of her beverage.

“Sports are not really my expertise, but I will be there and quietly cheering you on.” Severus replied, knowing full well that Hufflepuff was going against Gryffindor.

Annette grinned and then sat at her House’s table, while Severus made his way to his own, only to be stopped by Lily Evans. The redhead with moss-green eyes, seemed rather annoyed with him. He could tell not only by the way she was glaring at him, but she had her hands resting on her hips. “You were supposed to meet with me to talk over the party that Professor Slughorn is having on Saturday.”

Severus Snape rolled his eyes at the thought of one of Professors Slughorn’s Slug Club parties. “I can help you with the planning, but otherwise then that I have other plans.”

Lily sighed, “I was hoping you could take some of his spotlight off of me and on to you. He just yammers so much.”

The Slytherin fifth-year smirked, “It isn’t my fault that you are brilliant, Lily. You can only blame yourself.”

“It’s _your_ fault for introducing me into this world. And James Potter tried to get me to prune the flowers out of his hair; instead I dragged him into Hospital Wing and left him there.” Lily was truly getting tired of James Potter stalking her. “I am not going to be shocked if he ends up with a bird nesting in his hair.”

Severus only shook his head, and was grateful when Alice came to drag her away, and began discussing their Potions assignment was.

The fifth-year Slytherin sat beside second year Slytherin, Barty Crouch Junior. Severus did not waste any time and began to put his food on to his plate, listening to the conversations around him. He heard relationships discussions, and his fellow Snakes complaining about far too much homework. Severus was about to get himself a second glass of pumpkin juice, when a letter landed in his lap. The only person, who wrote him was his mother, and truth be told the wife of Tobias Snape was glad that he had found a “girlfriend”. Even though the fifteen-year-old had tried desperately with replies, explaining to her that Annette was just a girl that he tutored.  Severus left the Great Hall, and made his way down the steps toward the Slytherin dorm.

After reading the letter, he put quill ink to paper, and decided to try once again to explain to his mother, Eileen, about his situation with Annette Negrescu, that she was not his _girlfriend_ but that he was only tutoring her.

Jenna Baum sat across from her best friend, tapping her finger on her chin as she struggled to decide her next move in their chess game. Annette’s pieces were now busy napping, while they waited. The hearth in the Hufflepuff was blazing in the Commons, keeping the chill out of their bones. They had finished their essays on the VCR, and were trying to relax before they started on their Transfiguration essay about the need for Witches and Wizards, who were Animagus to register. 

Annette sighed and with a wave of wand packed up the board and the pieces. “We should get started on our Transfiguration homework.”

Jenna smiled and then rubbed her temples, “How do people think playing Wizards’ chess is relaxing? It only gives me a migraine.”

Annette shrugged, as the duo started on their essay. Then they had to practice for Charms, the specific charm was the Fur Charm. Neither of the Hufflepuffs were excited about looking like apes, but if they did not practice and did not show the Charm in class, they would end up getting a T as a grade, and neither of them wanted to see Troll written on the grade slip. After practicing it several times, Annette was dragged to the side by the Captain of her House’s Quidditch team, Ennis.

“We need to have a practice drill tomorrow after classes are done.” Ennis said, running a hand through her choppy blonde hair, she glanced over at her brother, who was a year younger than her and Annette’s fellow Beater, Gilroy.

He let out a groan of annoyance; the fourth-year did not look pleased. “If you’ve hadn’t bothered to check, we both have tons homework to do.”

“It’ll only be for an hour.” Ennis said, the rest of the team giving her a glance that practically said, they weren’t so sure to trust her, she was a tyrant when it came to practices. “I promise, just an hour.”

They all nodded and Annette returned to Jenna, so they could practice one last time, before they buried themselves in their beds. Tomorrow was going to be hectic, Annette could tell by the fact that her gut was twisting into a knot.


	11. Chapter 11

Snow had begun to gently fall on Hogwarts’ grounds, which meant that all assignments had to be handed in before the holiday started, and then a week after spring arrived all of the fifth year students would be taking their O.W.Ls. Annette buttoned her winter coat closed, and buried her face into her scarf, until all you could see were her eyes, considering that she was also wearing a homemade knitted wool hat from her mother. She had just finished Herbology, Annette had scribbled on note to herself in her agenda to give Jenna the class notes and assignment, her best friend was in Hospital Wing with the flu, Annette would have to fly solo for Care of Magical Creatures today, she knew that she was a tad early, but Professor Kettleburn did not seem bothered by her presence as he continued to grade assignments at his desk.

 Annette unwound her scarf and unbuttoned her coat, draping them on the back of her chair; she then removed her gloves and put them in the pocket of her coat. She took out a quill, and her ink bottle, along with her journal to record what she needed too for her and Jenna’s Fwooper, Kiki. Annette made her way toward the birdcage were the bird blinked at her sleepy. The fifth-year Hufflepuff took out her wand, and refill the beautiful bright colored bird’s water dish, when Kiki let out a high-pitched screech.

She stumbled back, letting out a cry of pain, as she struggled to lift her hands in order to cover her ears. She opened her tear-filled olive-green colored eyes, to see Professor Kettleburn already collapsed on the floor, his wand in hand. Annette struggled to not let out another cry of agony, as she fell to knees, shaking and sobbing, the pain was just too much. Tears were streaming down her face; the cry from Kiki broke the windows, sending glass to ran down in shards, covering Annette body, as she tried to curl herself into a ball, hoping that the noise would stop. Glass was cutting into her hands and arms. But Kiki’s screech had sat off all the others, which only made matters worse.

“ _Silencio_!” the spell rung out from a voice, which was cutting through her delirium. She felt someone touching her face, but the ringing left his voice to seem foggy and out of place. She felt him wiping her face with a handkerchief, the same one he had given her three days ago.

He then went to over to Professor Kettleburn, the Professor was lying on his stomach, his eyes shut, he had blood coming from his nose and his ears. Severus let out a sigh of annoyance, and when he stood from his crouched position, Deputy Headmistress, Ms. Lavoie and Professor Lama, who taught History of Magic.

Professor Lama rushed over to Professor Kettleburn, and draped his arm across her shoulder, leading him out of the classroom. Ms. Lavoie casted a levitation spell on Annette as hovered in mid-air. Severus followed after them, which was not easy because there were fifth year Hufflepuffs surrounding the doorway. It was the Deputy Headmistresses announced the cancelation of class, some cheered, and others’ faces were creased with worry.

Severus held Annette’s limp hand as she was lowered in a bed in the Hospital Wing. Professor Kettleburn was already being seen by Madame Pomfrey. Severus scanned the room, only to see Lily sitting beside another bed, where Remus Lupin was lying, he was shaking and sweating, biting his lip so hard that blood began to drip down his chin.

Severus tucked a blanket around the fifth-year Hufflepuff and then he made his way toward Remus and Lily. The red-head had her hair tied back in a braid; her green eyes were shimmering with tears. She looked up when Severus placed a hand on her shoulder; she went to place her hand on top of his, when Sirius Black and James Potter entered.

Severus’s eyes became cold as he moved his hand away from Lily.

“Be careful, Lil.” Sirius said, plopping down beside her on the left, as James stood at the end of the bed, his hair messier than ever.

“I’m always careful, Sirius.” Lily replied, trying to keep her anger down, she knew what was coming next.

“You were touched by Snivelly. You might have caught his greasiness.” Sirius sneered, James was now behind him, smirking.

James looked over at the other hospital bed, to see Severus was holding a now unconscious Annette’s hand. “Did your girlfriend blackout before or after you tried to kiss her, Snivels?”

Severus sighed, and tried his best to ignore them. It was Lily who became angry, “Leave him alone, James!”

James shook his head, his hair still messy. “Really Lily, what do you see in him? You should be dating me.”

Lily whipped out her wand, and pointed it at Prongs, “ _Anteoculatia_!” Suddenly antlers grew from James’s head, Sirius busted out laughing.

James was about to storm out of the Hospital Wing with Sirius, when Madame Pomfrey dragged them back in by their ears. “Both of you, start scrubbing out the chamber pots.” She then looked over at Lily, “Ms. Evans, you may help me organize the herbs that Professor Sprout gathered for me.” Madame Pomfrey began to walk away with Lily in toe, “This is punishment for disturbing my patients, and also five points from Gryffindor each. Ms. Evans as a Prefect, I really thought better of you, how disappointing…”

Severus held on to Annette’s hand even with James and Sirius scrubbing out the chamber pots with brushes and a bucket of hot and soapy water. He waited for Annette to open her eyes, and when she did, she squeezed the fifth-year Slytherin’s hand. “Thank you…” she whispered, as Madame Pomfrey came out with a potion and helped Annette to drink it.    

Professor Kettleburn was fast asleep, and snoring. Annette smiled softly at Severus, as he patted her on the head, and then went into the hall, Lily was there waiting for him. She had herbs, gathered in a basket at her feet. She was sitting cross-legged trying to sort one herb from another but they all looked the same to her. When she glanced up Severus was standing beside her.

“Sev…” she began to say, but the Potions genius stopped her.

“You need to stop standing up for me, Lily. We’re not children anymore.” With that said Severus made his way to his Charms class, just as the bell chimed throughout the halls. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and kudos! I am very happy that people like this story of mine. :)  
> \- little sloth

It was Friday, the day before the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

As for Severus Snape, it wouldn’t bother him which side lost. It would bother him if Annette got injured by Potter or any of his other idiotic mates. He had a stack of potions books in his arms as he made his way toward the library to return them. The library was relatively silent as he put the books on the Librarian’s desk; he stopped in his tracks when he heard the word, “Stupid.” Being said repeatedly, and a soft thud following. He knew the voice and he followed it, until he found her scrunched up in a chair, her hair was wind swept, nearly wild looking, leaning against her shoulder was the handle of a Comet 260. That was when he remembered that tomorrow was her Quidditch match against Gryffindor, and maybe that was why she kept calling herself stupid. He placed his hand, palm upwards where her head would land, and she slowly opened her olive colored eyes, tears slowly falling on to his skin. Her face was a muddle of anger, frustration, and unknowing.

“Severus, what are you doing here?” she questioned, her voice was broken from crying.

The Slytherin mouth twitched into somewhat of a smirk, “Making sure you don’t lose any more brain cells. What is troubling you?”

“The Quidditch match, homework for Muggle Studies, Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts.”  She answered, and sat up, her cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment.

Severus grabbed her Muggle Studies, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Potions textbooks, along with her agenda. “I will help you with these, the rest you are on your own.”

Annette blinked at him, wiping her damp eyes on her sweater sleeve. “You don’t have too.”

Severus shrugged, “It is not a problem, Annette.”

“But, what about your own assignments?” The Hufflepuff girl questioned, feeling guilty.

“I plan accordingly.” He replied simply, the fifth-year teenage girl was slightly shocked when he grabbed her Muggle Studies text book. He flipped to the page where her bookmark was, and it was on an invention called the Walkman. It played music, Severus remembered one of his Muggle cousins coming over with one, listening to a band called _The Who_ , it was obnoxious to the young wizard. First, he helped her with the Potions essay, which was Dreamless Sleep Potion; the potion itself was not due in class until Tuesday. Then they worked together on trying to explain how the Walkman invention might be more convenient for the wizarding world.

Annette stretched s kink out of her back, and waved her class supplies into her messenger bag with her wand. She grabbed her broom, and smiled at the fifth-year Slytherin. His eyebrows and face simply crinkled up in confusion. “Let’s go for a ride, I need a break.” She said, as Severus followed her out to the pitch. The field was empty, but a bitter chill had settled in the air, even the ground was covered in a light layer of snow. Severus helped Annette with her scarf and gloves, and then he did his own. He pretended to not feel his own cheeks growing warm, when he felt Annette tug his scarf tighter, and pull it over his face and nose. She then turned toward where the broom shed was, her wand in hand once more. “ _Accio,_ Cleansweep five!” she called out softly as the broom came out of the shed, and toward Severus, who caught it before it could hit him in the face.

They mounted the brooms, Annette doing a series of nearly impossible aerial tricks, which almost fascinated the normally scowling teenage boy. He was glad that Annette could not see him smiling from beneath his scarf, the smile was a small one, but it was there. He was smiling because Annette was laughing with joy, it sparkled in her olive-green eyes, and nearly four days ago, she had almost been dead.

It had frightened him that the Fwoopers had almost killed her, but it was not sure what to call her…friend, sometimes companion, the girl that he tutored just so she would not fail potions?

After an hour of gliding through the chilled air, that sent goose bumps traveling up their skin, they landed on the pitch and the fifth-year Hufflepuff used her wand to send the brooms back to the shed. She glanced over at Severus, and he only nodded as they headed back inside to the warmth of Hogwarts. Annette slid herself down against one of the stone walls, and landed on her behind. She had removed her gloves with her teeth and was now working on digging out her Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

 She had to write an essay on how counter jinxes could save one’s life. Severus was sitting down beside her, as he helped her through it. It was almost curfew before they were finished, and Severus offered Annette his hand in order to help her up, after he had righted himself.

Annette swung her messenger bag over her shoulder, and was about to make her way to her House, when Severus stopped her. “My mother wishes to meet you.”

The Hufflepuff girl stopped and turned to look at him stunned. The first two words that fumbled out of her mouth was, “Why me?”

Severus shrugged, “I have been writing about you to her in my letters. I did not think it was such a tremendous topic, because all she was asking about was how classes were going and I answered. Now for reasons unknown, even to me, she wishes to meet you. Should I tell her, that you do not want too?”

Annette took a couple of moments to form words of her own to respond, “I could come over, during Christmas holiday. One of my parents or my older brother will have to floo me over to your house, but I am sure it will not be a problem.”

Severus nodded and made his way toward the dungeons, and his own house. Annette practically dive-bombed and then tripped into the Hufflepuff common room, after tapping the barrels correctly. Jenna was staring at her, from where she had been reading for Transfiguration. Her best-friend’s face was as red as a basket of cherries. “You okay?” the Prefect questioned, as she got up from the couch and helped Annette to sit down beside her.

“Severus’s mother wants to meet me.” Annette replied.

Jenna began to giggle, desperately trying to stifle it behind her textbook. “She thinks you two are dating.”

Annette shook her head, like a dog would. “We’re not.”

“But you wish you were.” Jenna said, tapping her quill into her bottle of ink.

“He’s far too over the edge in love with Lily Evans.” Annette replied, and dug out her own Transfiguration book, a roll of parchment, and quill.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, I will post chapter fourteen on Tuesday. Happy reading! :)  
> -little sloth

Annette was squished between her fellow Hufflepuffs, One being Jenna and the other being her fellow Beater, Gilroy on the Quidditch team. She sighed and mixed cinnamon and sugar into her oatmeal, she was not looking forward to this match.

“We’re going to get creamed…” Gilroy sighed, sipping at his pumpkin juice.

“Thanks for the encouragement, Gil…” Annette muttered, spooning oatmeal into her mouth.

Gilroy shrugged. His blonde hair was spiked up into a Mohawk. “I’m just being honest.”

“Honesty, which is going to make her nervous.” Ennis said, she was their Captain and also the Seeker on their team.

“We’ll try our best. It’s all we can do.” Mary agreed, her slick black hair had been braided in a crown of sorts around her head in order to keep out of her face when she handled the Quaffle.

Her fellow sixth years and Chasers nodded in agreement, Patricia and Sean. They were all waiting for their Keeper to finally drag himself out of bed, Raymond was one of the laziest on their team, and it was all a relief to them, that it was his last year at Hogwarts. They would get to choose another Keeper next fall. Annette continued mulling over their strategy to beat Gryffindor as she resumed consuming her porridge. It was complex, but they could pull it off, if they were lucky Ennis would beat James Potter to the Snitch. Then it was the match of Ravenclaw and Slytherin in order to decide the final match for the year. If they crossed their fingers they would hopefully end up with both the Quidditch and House Cup for Hufflepuff.

The fifth-year Slytherin laid his hand and lithe fingers on to Annette’s shoulder, his peer nearly jumped out of her skin. Severus could only smirk in amusement, her face flushed pink. He glanced at Ennis, and then Annette drew his attention back, when her shaking hand found his on her shoulder, he gently squeezed her hand.

“You will be fine.”  

“I hope so…” Annette sighed; she was not looking forward to this game at all.

The air out on the pitch was brisk and the air tasted of sunbaked dead leaves on a forest floor. Annette adjusted her goggles, making sure they were snug, but not tight enough to be painful; she gripped her broom in her hand, as she waited for the whistle to be blown for them to mount and start the game. She twirled her short wooden club in her other hand, no matter how angry she was at James Potter and his gang of misfits, she had to remember not to whack Sirius to hard with the bludgers, she would get a penalty, and making her hatred of Sirius Black far too obvious. All she cared about was scoring a close victory, if they only lost by a few points the bruise to their egos would not hurt that much. She looked to her side; Gilroy was beside her, a look of determination glinting in his eyes. Raymond was behind Ennis, as the Captain of their team, she would be the first in the air, and then Raymond would fly into his position at the goals. Behind her would be Mary, Patricia, and Sean. They would fly out in an almost triangle-like formation, followed by Annette and Gilroy.

Madame Hooch took her silver whistle to her mouth; a charm had been cast on it to make it loud enough for the whole stadiums to here. It was that moment that Annette mounted her broom and she sped up into the air, side by side with Gilroy. She watched as Ennis with a cold gleam and a look of disgust on her face as she shook hands with Daniel Wood. The Gryffindor Captain smiled at her with such a devilish smirk that it would make a fox proud.

“I want a clean game from _both_ sides.” Madame Hooch said sternly as blow the whistle again and kicked the trunk open that held the bludgers, qauffles, and the most important piece of equipment of all, the golden snitch.

The game started off swiftly enough, Raymond missed several shots from the Gryffindor Chasers, with half-attempted blocks. Ennis was hovering between Gilroy and Annette, searching the snitch like a hawk after a mouse. She glared daggers at Raymond. “Get your head out of the clouds, Raymond!” she let out a small groan of frustration. Annette quickly went into a dive and blocked a bludger from giving Sean a broken nose. The bludger zoomed off after bat cracked against, giggling like a madman. It hit Sirius Black square in the back of his head, making him drop the quaffle as Mary dove beneath him catching it before it hit the ground, making a beeline for the Gryffindor Keeper. The red ball made it into the bottom and lowest hoop.

“The score is now eighty to two-hundred!” the announcer said, his voice cracking from just entering puberty.

Sirius spun around and glared at Annette from over his shoulder. The Hufflepuff Chaser shrugged. “Your head was so inflated by your own ego, that I just couldn’t miss it.” Annette replied with a smirk, as she joined Gilroy in beating the bludgers back away from their team mates.

The score slowly climbed from eighty to two-hundred to a hundred and sixty against the Gryffindor’s four hundred. Ennis called for a time-out as the Hufflepuff Quidditch team landed down beside Madame Hooch. Annette sunk herself against the bench beside Mary and Patricia.

Her arm ached from keeping away the bludgers; she pretended not to notice Sirius Black glaring daggers at her as he rubbed the back of his head. Annette had smacked him a couple more times with the bludger; they were mostly accidently, except for the first one. When Raymond touched ground, Ennis was on him like a badger after a snake.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You just want us to lose don’t you?” she demanded her face was red with anger and her hands were clenched at her sides, she was shaking trying to keep her rage down enough so she would not clobber their Keeper.

Raymond sighed, “They have James Potter on their team. We’re not going to win against them.”

“It doesn’t mean we can just give up! Just because it is your last year at Hogwarts, doesn’t mean you can mess up this game for the rest of us!” Ennis said, she waved to Madame Hooch to let them know that their little tiff was over.

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams remounted their broom and resumed the game. Annette could feel herself sinking into hopelessness, even with the amounts of goals they were making, they still could not catch up with Gryffindor’s score.

It was not until their announcer shouted, “The golden snitch has been spotted!” that Annette felt hope well up inside her again. She watched as Ennis quickly caught up with James Potter in mere moments, Ennis was sliding forward on her broom, her fingers brushing against the gold that the device was made of, it wasn’t until she slid off her broom and landed hard on her face and chin, that the snitch was in her grasp.

The rest of the Hufflepuff students cheered from their spots in the stands. Annette felt herself going dumbstruck. They had actually won! Annette went over to Mary and helped one of the Hufflepuff Chasers to get their Captain and Seeker back on her feet. Ennis was wincing, and Mary and Annette hissed in sympathy.

Their Captain’s nose was a dark purple, there was blood dripping out of the nostrils like heavy drops of rain. Annette allowed Gilroy to pick up his older sister as if she did not weigh anything at all and carried her off to the Hospital Wing. Annette somehow maneuvered her way through the crowd of cheering Hufflepuffs and into the quiet of one of Professor Sprout’s greenhouses.

 Her only entire body was shaking, her breathing was coming out raged, and with shaking fingers she removed her goggles from her hands and let them fall to the damp soil along with her broom. She glanced up quickly, like a rat being caught with a morsel of food; dark eyes that were creased with worry met her drab olive green ones that were probably filled with panic and shock.

“Severus…” his name came out in a whisper, and before she could register what was happening, the fifth-year Slytherin had his arms around her and was easing her into sitting on the damp earth of the greenhouse.

“Breath, you need to breath Annette.” Severus replied, as Annette slowly began to breath probably rather than in ragged and quick panic-filled spurts.

“We won! We actually won!” The realization had been too much at first, but now she could not help grinning from ear to ear. Her happiness was soon drained as she remembered they were going to be either facing Ravenclaw or Slytherin in the final match. “We’re doomed.”

Severus sighed, he was never going to be able to understand Annette and her quick mood shifts. “You’ll be fine. Black on the other hand, might have a bit of a concussion.” He could not help smirking, Annette smiled coyly in return.

“He deserved it; he hurt a dear friend of mine.” Annette’s cheeks suddenly flared pink. “I-I mean, is it alright that I consider you to be a friend or is that crossing a line?”

“It is fine, Annette. I consider you a friend, to tell you the truth I have not really thought about it until this very moment.” The Slytherin Potions Protégé answered.

“We’re friends then.” Annette said aloud, confirming it for both herself and Severus Snape.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment!  
> \- little sloth

Annette spooned another mound of sugar and cinnamon into her oatmeal, the sun was streaming into the Great Hall, causing the frost on the windows to glow, it was eerie almost beautiful. She found herself unable to sleep after their win against Gryffindor and it was not just the all-night party going on in the commons, but there was also something else bothering her, and it picked at her thoughts until she rolled out of her bed, and nearly tangled her feet in the black sheets and bumblebee yellow cover. She was hardly even awake as she made her way to the showers. The hot water streamed down her skin, as it soaked her copper hair, that had gotten so long it nearly covered her bum, if she was lucky her mother would let her keep this way. She scrubbed shampoo and conditioner into it, and then soaped her skin until it was covered in bubbles and smelt like peppermint. A quick dry spell, helped to get her skin and hair dry. The fifth-year Hufflepuff then threw on her school uniform, along with her robes and knotted her hair back into a fishtail braid. It was here that she found herself, spooning mouthfuls of oatmeal into her mouth, but she barely tasted it all. The cinnamon rolls that she had been craving, now tasted bland.

Sighing, she let the spoon slip back into her oatmeal; she rubbed her hands against her exhausted face, and dug her Ghoul Studies book out of her satchel. She also crammed in her Charms, Transfiguration, and Muggle Studies book in as well. Tomorrow, they were going to have a lecture about Muggle inventors that were women; it was going to be her first class of the morning, and needless to say she was excited for it. Her second period class was Charms; Professor Flitwick was revisiting the Fire-Making Spell.

Professor McGonagall would be a lecture on Animagus and then they had a scroll due for next class on what animal they would choose to transfigure into and why. She cracked open her Charms textbook to the right chapter and used the summoning charm, _Accio_ to get out a fresh piece of parchment, her quill case, and a bottle of stoppered ink. She was just about to start taking notes on the Fire-Making Spell, when she felt a hand grip on her shoulder. Her body became stiff as she looked out of the corner of her olive colored eyes.

Sirius Black sat down beside her, a bandage was wrapped around his head, and Annette rolled her eyes, he was probably only wearing the gauze to get sympathy from the girls who swooned over him like lovesick Crup puppies. His grey eyes were alight with anger making them turn almost silver. “Did Snivelly put you up to knocking me in the head with the bludgers?” he demanded, his anger was almost frightening.

“No.” Annette said, her own anger rising. “I did it because you are nothing but a brute. Treating him the way you do, is nothing but cowardice.”

“I am not a coward.” Sirius said, there was pride in his voice. “Have you ever been near a werewolf?”

Annette only shook her head, who could be so stupid as to try to take on a werewolf, especially if they were transformed into their beastly state? 

“I have.” Sirius said, he had a smug smile on his face now.

“Your lies are not going to impress me, Sirius Black. And I am not going to apologize for giving you what you deserve.” Annette stood up and left the Great Hall, her satchel was over shoulder again, and her books back in their rightful places in her bag.

She made her way up the stairs, past the paintings that greeted her as they moved within their scenes, once she was in the library, she set her satchel down beside a chair and decided to browse the shelves for a book on Animagus, and she nearly bumped into Lily Evans. The redheaded Muggle-Born Witch. The unrequited love of Severus Snape gave Annette a weak smile.

“That was a great match yesterday.  I hope you knocked some sense into Sirius, I wish you could of have knocked some sense into James Potter.” Lily carried the book she had in her arms back to the table, where Annette had her satchel.

“Potter? No, I think Ennis did a pretty good job of that.” Annette responded.

Lily let out a small laugh, and then sighed. “I hate them sometimes. James and his mates, they are always picking on Sev. He doesn’t deserve it.”  

Annette could feel a twinge of jealousy and envy starting in the pit of her heart, and she despised the feeling. Lily Evans was the one that Severus wanted to be with, not her. And Annette wished that she could forget the fact that she was smitten. Severus and she were only going to be friends, and that was better than nothing at all, she reminded herself as she took notes while reading her Charms textbook. She could wait to work on the Transfiguration essay with Jenna after dinner. She glanced up from her note taking, and asked Lily Evans straight out about Sirius Black, James Potter’s best friend and Lily Evans’ Housemate.

“Does Sirius usually lie to make himself seem more _impressive_?”

Lily let out a sigh of disgust, before responding with a question of her own, “What did he tell you?”

“He says that he has been near an _actual_ werewolf.” Annette scoffed, her face crinkled with concern when Lily stood up abruptly, hastily muttered the spell, _pak,_ and barely waited for her satchel to finish being stuffed with supplies before hurrying out of the library. Annette let out a sigh and continued with her notes for Charms. She did remember Jenna say that the Prefects all had a meeting this afternoon, and since it was almost one ‘clock, Lily must have realized she was going to be late.

She was just about to put the stopper on her ink bottle, when a boy with medium length wavy black hair, wearing Slytherin robes. His eyes were the color of moss, and when he smiled. His smug, holier-then-thou smirk gave him a way in an instant. He was fourth year, Regulus Black, a close friend of her Potions tutor, Severus Snape.

“That was quite the match this weekend.” Regulus said, twirling his wand in his fingers lazily. “I’m curious why Hufflepuffs are all about kindness and hard work?”

Annette could hardly hold herself back from looking at the junior student with disgust. “Because those traits can actually get you somewhere in life.” She replied somewhat coldly, and gathered up her notes, after slinging the satchel over her shoulder, the rest of her books and other school supplies packed.  She made her way out of the library and down two flights of stairs before she collided into Pandora, the ink black wispy haired, willow-y shaped, almost Veela-esque beauty that was the Ravenclaw Prefect, beside her was Jenna, and behind them were their male counterparts, Xenophilius Lovegood and Gandalf Amsel (A fellow fifth-year and the other Prefect.)

“Is Regulus hounding the library for Alecto Carrow?” Jenna asked, Annette nodded, she had pretended not to notice the Slytherin girl burying herself behind a large stack of thick and dusty tombs could be used as step stools. Her sister, Bellatrix, who might have been a tad odd had been skipping around the room humming to herself the names of potions ingredients.

Annette found Severus sitting alone in the back corner of the library, jotting down notes in a messy hand, what was that her father said? A messy hand was the sign of a genius at work? He had his Advanced Care of Magical Creatures book open to the chapter on Thestrals. Annette sat down across from him opening her Potions book. Severus’s face was crinkled in concentration and confusion.

He was supposed to be answering the question of why Thestrals were horse-skeletons and had leathery bat wings instead of feathers in order to discuss it next class. Annette opened her book to the Barfullio’s Brain Elixir.

“Severus, I’ll help you, if you help me?” she offered.

The Potions Protégé nodded and smiled slightly, having a friend like Annette was starting to be a good thing. 

  
 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything should be back in order now. Apparently, I posted both chapter 10 and 11 with chapter 10's content. Which messed up the chapter order. I will be posting chapter 16 today as well, as an apology for my massive mistake. Sunday, I will be posting chapter 17. Then it will go back to being its regular schedule, with chapters being posted on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Unless you like them to be posted on Wednesday and Sunday? Please leave a comment and once again I am so sorry about the mess.   
> -little sloth

The ink was barely dried on the paper as Annette signed the bottom of the letter she was sending to her parents. She signed it with several Xs and Os at the bottom, below her middle name. She waved her wand over the paper in order to cast a quick drying spell over the news she had written to her parents. Jenna, Pandora, and herself would be going Christmas shopping at Hogsmeade this upcoming weekend. Tomorrow, they would hand in the last of their assignments before most of the students headed home for the winter holiday. The fifth-year Hufflepuff did not even want to look at the long list of people she had to gifts for. Her Aunt Fildema and Uncle Irving would both be attending the feast her mother was busily preparing. Fildema had graduated from Hogwarts, sorted into the Ravenclaw house just like Annette’s mother, her husband on the other hand had graduated from Slytherin. Her cousin Willow even though, she was born from a half-breed Wizard and a full-blood Witch had unfortunately had been born a squib. She was two years younger than her cousins, and had to watch them board the Hogwarts Express after they had received their Hogwarts letters at the age of eleven. Poor Willow, even though she could not be a part of the magical community, she still studied the subjects from the safety of her parents’ home in the village of Puddlemere.

Annette did not even want to think of the heartache that Willow was suffering, to practically be a Muggle in a family full of Witches and Wizards it must have been so difficult for her. Annette tried to not let out a groan of annoyance when the fifteen-year-old Witch had told her mother that she had been invited over to Severus’ home after Christmas, just like the Slytherin genius mother thought, that the two of them were dating. Annette folded the letter and slid it into the envelope, she sealed with yellow wax and a stamp of the Hufflepuff mascot. The thought of bundling up and looking like a yeti was not the first thing she needed to do, what she wanted to do was head to the library and get to work on her last Potions’ essay, but the owls would be leaving their roosts soon, and the young Hufflepuff did not want to wait until tomorrow to have to send the letter. She put the letter with her parents address on the front and put it in the front pocket of her satchel, the rest was stuffed with her Potions book, fresh parchment, ink and quills. She bundled into her black wool cloak, scarf, gloves, and homemade beanie. Once her face was well covered with the scarf and beanie, she made her way outside and away from the warmth of Hogwarts and toward the narrow and creaking steps of the Owlery.

The messenger owls hooted softly, as they huddled together for warmth, Annette opening up the door nearly bumped into the Slytherin who was tutoring her in the craft of brewing liquid magic. Severus’s face became crimson as their gloved fingers touched and he grabbed her arm, saving her from falling back down the icy steps.

“Thank you.” Annette said, glad that her scarf was hiding her blush. She made her way toward a Bridled Screech Owl and let it take the letter with its talons; it flew off through a hole in the roof, hooting in an almost annoyed tone at being woken up.

Severus glanced at his friend who was a girl. “My mother thinks we’re dating.”

Annette tried not to make her laugh seemed forced, “Mine does too. But we’re only friends.” The words felt bitter in mouth. Merlin, how she wished that they were more than that, she wanted them to be more friends so badly, that sometimes it hurt her heart.

“If you still need help with your Potions essay, I have spare time to help you now.” Severus said, as they left the Owlery and were out in the snapping cold of winter, that bit at their faces.

“To the library!” Annette replied, when she stepped forward, the heel of her boot slipped nearly causing the stairs to turn into a horrible death ride.

Severus had his arms around her waist, and the Hufflepuff could not help blushing as the Slytherin helped her get her footing back, his gloved hand brushing away some of the strands of her copper hair away from her face. “Thanks for that.”

Severus smiled ever so slightly, and said in a teasing way, “Well, I wouldn’t want your death on my conscience.”

Annette playful batted his hand away, Severus then followed close behind down the icy steps, once they were in the library, and they unbundled and sat side-by-side at a table.

Annette pulled out her notes and textbook from Potions. “We have to write an essay on the ingredients of the Essence of Insanity, and then write how a cure for this Potion could possible lead to a cure for the Unforgivable Curse, The Cruciatus Curse.” She showed him what she had for her essay so far, while Severus flipped open to a chapter in his Care of Magical Creatures book.

“Thanks to you, my essay on Thestrals received an Exceeds Expectations. “ Severus had his book open to the chapter on the Diricawl.

The Hufflepuff girl could not help grinning, “I am glad I was able to help.” She pointed a finger at the chapter he was on. “We just finished that chapter, our class just started on the Dugbog. Do you need help on their flightless vanishing patterns?”

Severus let out a sigh as he pulled out the map, he was supposed to be marking with the spots that his assigned Diricawl was moving too. “Unfortunately.”

They were huddled close as Annette helped him to mark the proper spots, and this did not go unnoticed by the Marauders, who had been forced to go the library to finish their assignments with Remus. James Potter glanced up from his essay on the Tickling Charm, and nudged Sirius, who looked up from his own.

James righted himself from his chair and walked over to the Slytherin and Hufflepuff, “You better not sit too close to him, he could get you covered in grease spots.”

Annette’s face darkened, she clutched her wand in her hand, and she stood up from her seat so fast that the chair toppled over backwards. “Why must you be so cruel to Severus? Are you _compensating_ for something else?”

James Potter glared at her, just as Sirius, Peter, and Remus came up behind him. Annette let out a noise of disgust and used the _pak_ spell to get her supplies back in her bag. She was not about to lower herself to Potter’s level.

“Severus, would you like to finish our homework in the Hufflepuff commons room?” Annette questioned, ignoring the Marauders.

Severus had a sneer on his face as he followed Annette out of the library, responding with, “Gladly.” he flicked his wand and cast the Dancing Feet Charm on James Potter, sparks fluttered from his wand.

He could not help but start laughing as he heard James Potter began to curse and yell out Severus’s last name in rage. This only caused him to lose ten points from his house and detention from the librarian.

Annette was also doubled over in laughter, tears were leaking from her eyes she was laughing so hard. “He deserved it, that wanker deserved what you did to him.”

Once they had gotten over their laughter fit, they entered the Hufflepuff commons room after Annette had finished tapping, ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ on the barrels. The fire crackled in the hearth, Jenna and Pandora were busily working on their own Potions essays.

“My house commons is freezing.” Pandora answered the silent question that was in Annette’s head, as a reason as to why she was not in Ravenclaw House.

“You’re always welcome here, Pandora.” Annette said and sat herself on the couch beside Severus.

There was hardly any conversation as the four of them finished their homework from their respected classes.   


	16. Chapter 16

The snow decorated Annette’s copper locks and Jenna’s that was kissed by fire. The snowflakes that covered Pandora only made her look more angelic. It was finally the weekend, all of their assignments were turned in and they would be able to celebrate Christmas with their families. All three of the girls were tromping through the snow in Hogsmeade in order to get to Honeydukes. The warmth and the delicious mouthwatering smell of treats that greeted them were heavenly. The Hufflepuff fifth-year looked down at the list of people she had yet to buy gifts for, the last on her list was Severus. She ignored the weight of the bags in her arms, and the fact that her, Pandora, and Jenna would be busy wrapping on Sunday.

What could she get Severus here that he would actually enjoy? She had bought him a new cauldron, since his had a large crack in the bottom and she was planning on filling it with sweets. She tried to not let her mind drift to the fact that the Potions Protégé was deeply head-over-heels in love with Lily Evans. Annette wanted to tell Severus how she felt about him, but she knew that would end well, and that she would just be happy with them being friends. Friendship was enough, even though she wished their relationship was more. She bought some cauldron cakes, Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, and some chocolate wands. She had over twenty presents to wrap including Severus’s.

The Half-Blood Prince stood in Dogweed and Deathcap, a Fanged Geranium bulb wrapped in a little blue box tied with a white ribbon that was decorated with sky-blue snowflakes. He found it much easier buying Annette’s gift, then it would be to buy Lily’s.  They were not speaking as often as they once did, which did not bother Severus since he was busy studying with Annette for Potions, and she was busy helping him with Care of Magical Creatures. When he went to back to his home, he would find something for Lily in the muggle world, maybe a new record. Lily did enjoy listening to _The Beatles_ , she was always humming their songs on the train to and from Hogwarts. He made his way out of Dogweed and Deathcap and back to train in order to back to the Slytherin House common room.

Annette sat cross-legged dressed in pajamas struggling to wrap the cauldron, she was going to give Severus tomorrow at the train station. She let out a sigh of frustration as the tape once again stuck to her fingers. She sipped some more hot chocolate out of the mug that was beside her hip, and let the heat from the crackling fire in the hearth warm her up as well. She grabbed her wand from where it rested on the coffee table, her frustration had won her over, she would rather use magic then try to unpick tape stickiness from her hands all night. In seconds, his present was wrapped in a snowman wrapping paper, the rest of the presents would have to be shrunk down with a shrinking charm, so she could fit them all in her trunk; the train ride home tomorrow was going to bittersweet.

The train that would take the students back to their homes chugged up to the station and grinded to a halt. Annette boarded the train with Jenna and Pandora. The trios found an empty compartment, and with help from one another were able to get their trunks on to the luggage rack. Pandora sat down across from the two Hufflepuff girls and took out _The Call of the Wild_ by Jack London. With the clacking of the wheels against the train tracks, they began to leave the station at Hogwarts and back to Kings’ Cross Station. Jenna kept herself busy with her sketchbook and a muggle pencil, Annette had Severus’s present in her lap as she pulled out her copy of _Merpeople: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Language and Customs_ that was written by the author Dylan Marwood. The book was littered with underline sentences made with quill ink, notes were scribbled in the crease of pages, and dog-eared notes etched on the corner of turned in pages, where the numbers could no longer be seen. There were also notes written on the edges before the page could be turned. She wished that Professor Kettleburn would allow them to dive into the Great Lake, maybe once the weather was warmer, she would grab her swimsuit and use the _Bubble-Head Charm_ to explore its depths. The door to their compartment squeaked open as the trio glanced up, to see Severus standing there; he was holding a small box in his hands. He seemed nervous at seeing that Annette was not alone in the compartment.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” Annette said, setting her book aside and with Severus’s present in her arms, headed out into the hall of the train.

Severus cleared his throat and tried to find his voice, but only found it to be lost among the noise of the wheels hitting the tracks. He put the box in her hand, as she gave him the present that she had bought for him. They both sank against the wall, and sat down on the plush carpet underneath their backsides and feet.

Severus carefully unwrapped his gift, a new cauldron was now resting on his knees and it was filled with sweets. He glanced at Annette and a smile spread across her face. “You remembered my favorite plant.” It came out in a whisper, almost tear-filled.

“Well, how could I forget?” Severus said with a small smile. “You’re the only girl I know that thinks that Fanged Geraniums are adorable and doesn’t mind getting covered in dirt.” He took out the box of chocolate wands, he opened it and then handed her one, biting into one himself.

“I hope you don’t mind me buying you a new cauldron? I mean the one you have has a giant crack in it, and I don’t want to lose you.” Annette said, feeling her heart squeeze with an emotion she wished she did not feel toward him, love.

Severus smiled, “It is the most thoughtful gift, which I have gotten in a long time.”

It was the soft sound of something floating toward them, and the sound of giggling that caused the pair to look up, hanging above them were two pieces of mistletoe tied together with a blue and copper ribbon. Annette’s cheeks flared pink, and she looked toward Severus, who seemed confused.

“Ummm…we’re supposed to kiss…underneath it.” Annette explained, their faces were so close now their noses were practically touching.

She leaned in and kissed him, it was soft and quick kiss. Her first kiss taken by a boy her age, a Slytherin boy, who did not know that she was in love with him.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your support! Please leave a comment, and kudos if you can! Chapter 18 will be posted on Tuesday, and Chapter 19 will be posted on Saturday.   
> -little sloth

Memories flooded in front of Severus’s closed eyes when Annette kissed him. The first time that he saw her, a shy and soft-spoken Hufflepuff girl who was struggling in Potions and needed help to understand the ways that liquid magic was brewed. How far she had come since then, how strong their friendship was, but was it strong enough to become something more?

The first time Annette placed a kiss on his cheek, the first time he walked her back to her House, the first time they met in the library for him to tutor her, and she claimed that she was just going to cause him grief.

But it was her smiling face, and laugh, that had somehow become seared into his mind.

 Suddenly, Lily’s face disrupted the memories of Annette Negrescu. Her red hair and green eyes that sparkled with hope and happiness, he was one who had introduced the Muggle-Born Witch to the Wizarding World. The kiss was broken in that moment, as Severus gently pushed Annette away by gripping her shoulders.

The Hufflepuff gazed back at him, tears were now streaming down her cheeks, her olive-green eyes were mix of confusion and a love for him that he could not give back to her. He was in love with Lily Evans; he had been ever since he had met her. The Witch, who was hated by her muggle sister, Petunia. The jealous and seething Muggle sister, who Severus was going to despise seeing during the winter holiday.

Before he could stop himself, his thumb glided against Annette’s cheeks, which were damp with fresh tears, he wiped each one away, whispering, “I’m sorry.” With each one. The words that came from Annette’s tear-stained lips were filled with heartbreak.

“We’re just friends.” The words came out choked, as if there was a noose wrapped around the Hufflepuff girl’s throat. “Just friends.”  Their kiss had tasted of melted chocolate, and now she sat back with the Fanged Geranium bulb still in its box clutched her chest. The knot of mistletoe floated back into Pandora’s lap.

The dark haired Ravenclaw Prefect’s face fell as she stared at the mistletoe, perhaps the trinket that had brought her and Xenophilius together was cursed for others? She hoped she had not ruined Annette’s friendship with Severus. She just wanted Annette to be happy, not heartbroken.

Her first kiss and she had given it to Severus Snape. She watched as he stood, and leaned down planting a kiss on to her forehead. “Will you still visit me over holiday?”

Annette nodded and carefully righted herself from where she had been sitting in the narrow hallway of the train; she made her way back to Pandora and Jenna, both girls automatically wrapping her in an embrace once she sat down.

Pandora handed her a handkerchief from inside her pocket, it was ink black with a dark blue and bronze eagle sown into the fabric. “I am so sorry, dove.”

“It’s fine, Pan, you were only trying to help.” Annette said drying her face and eyes with the handkerchief, she tucked it into the sleeves of her robes. “I’ll wash it and owl it back to you, over the holiday.”

The train chugged slowly to a halt as the Hogwarts students that were returning for winter holiday, slowly trickled on to platform nine and three quarters. There was an immediate uproar of yelling names, and overcrowding on the platform. Severus left the platform with his trunk clunking behind him and made his way into the station. The noise only elevated as he made his way through the sea of wizards and witches, waiting to pick up their sons and daughters.

He spotted his mother immediately, she sat on a bench, hunched over and ringing her hands nervously. Her ink black hair was long and had been hastily brushed out of her face with a raking from her thin and long fingers. Her face was contorted into one of sadness and uncertainty of the unknown circumstances that were waiting for them at Spinner’s End. His mom’s teardrop blue-grey eyes were red and puffy; on the side of her face was a bandage that had hastily been placed over a cut or another type of wound that the young Half-Blood Prince did not want to think of, anger would not help his mother.

He approached her, and she stood up shakily, she was wearing muggle clothes. A worn slate grey jumper and a skirt that reached her ankles, it was a dark navy blue and barely covered the soft ballet flats she was wearing on her feet. She scraped her hair away from her face again and pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek. She was about to help him get his trunk to the rusty bucket, that might have been a truck at some point. Eileen had borrowed from their neighbor, who worked with Tobias at the Mill, he had been happy to do it, he saw how Tobias treated her, and he and his wife knew that she deserved much better than Tobias Snape as a husband. 

She noticed the brand-new cauldron that he had his arms that was still full of sweets, a smile edged its way across her face, tearing away the sadness, it made her happy that her son had a friend looking out for his wellbeing. “Is that from your friend, Annette?”

“Yes, Mum. Annette is very generous.” Severus replied, smiling a little, and then frowning when he remembered the pain that he had caused the Fifth-Year Hufflepuff girl.

“It makes me happy to know that you have a girlfriend.” Eileen said as they made their way to the rusty

“We’re just friends, Mum.” Severus tried to clarify, but his mother was now busy struggling to get the car to start, the engine making grinding noises each time.

Eileen let out a sigh of frustration as her ink-black hair fell in front of her face, hiding the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes. As a last resort and with a shaky hand, she took her wand out from where it was hidden in between the leather folds on the inside of her purse.

She whispered the charm before she could change her mind, her wand casting ruby red sparks. “ _Reparo Duo.”_ She had gone out of the truck, and lifted up the hood, tapping her wand against the engine. The car rumbled to life with a roar, Eileen smiled and made her way back inside the vehicle.

Once they were in the falling apart-and into the gutter- of Spinner’s End, Severus’s smile had faded into nothing but a grim expression. If wanted to get Lily a new record for her Christmas present he was going to have to walk into the better part of the muggle town. The truck chugged and clunked to a stop in front of Tobias Snape’s tiny two bedroom home. The paint was cracking and falling off, leaving the once beautiful pale blue to turn into a muddy grey. Severus and his mother lifted his trunk out of the back and they made their way inside.

Eileen already had her back length ink black pulled back into a braid. Her smile had disappeared once they had pulled on to Spinner’s end. Her hands would once again get wrinkled in the sink, scrubbing the dishes clean. Tobias, she prayed, would not be coming home drunk tonight after work if she was very lucky.

 Severus lugged his trunk up the stairs to his bedroom, and shut the door behind him. He shoved his trunk under the bed and put his brand-new cauldron beside it. The less his father saw of anything that had to deal or see anything that involved magic, the better the holiday would be. The young Slytherin removed his robes and replaced them with a rather large muggle t-shirt and a pair of jeans, and socks that were littered with holes. The clothes might have been ragged, but they were clean.

He laid himself down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, nibbling on jellybean that tasted like a pumpkin spice muffin. He kept picturing Annette’s face, the tears, her broken-hearted expression, the look of hopelessness in her eyes.

His own heart twisted in guilt, he was in love with Lily Evans, not Annette Negrescu. Could a person be in love with two different people at the same time?


	18. Chapter 18

The Negrescu Family household was full of noise when Annette entered with her brother, Quinn by her side. He had offered to pick her up along with Lan, the platform had been crowded with her peers, juniors, and seniors, and Annette had lost track of Severus. Through everything that had happened on the Hogwarts Express, she had forgotten to thank the Slytherin boy for the Fanged Geranium bulb, she would have to send him a letter by owl, once she had time to think and clear her head. She escaped the noise of her grandparents, Aunt and Uncle, and cousins.

Upstairs it is quiet, save for the few squeaks that come from the wooden floorboards beneath her feet, the walls were painted a dusty seashell pink, decorated with family photos that moved and danced, smiled and laughed silently beneath gorgeous and handpicked frames. She can still hear the loud chatter and laughter from down stairs, but it is muffled. Her mother, Delora shrieking with laughter over a story of their past, that Aunt Fildelma was telling. Annette places her hand on the black cold knob of her bedroom door and opens it.

She is greeted by a silver and white checkered bedspread, with fluffed up and freshly washed pillows and cases, her mom even had the lovingly, yet still embarrassing thought to wash and clean the stuffed animal badger that her mother had sent during her first year at Hogwarts. It was during her summer before her fifth year started, that Digby would be staying at home.

The fifteen-year-old girl sat down on her bed, and held the stuffed animal badger to her chest. She set Severus’s gift on her dresser, gently and with the care that only a gardener could have. Annette let out a sigh of relief as she gazed at her bay window, it was filled with flowerpots that were still blooming thanks to her mother’s gentle and daily care. Her mother understood that her daughter was more earthbound then the rest of the family, and that made the young Hufflepuff happy that her parents or brother did not chide her for being different.

Annette was not ready to dig through her robes and dress robes in order find something suitable for tonight’s dinner. Instead, the Hufflepuff in a house full of former Ravenclaws and one former Slytherin lay back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, shadows danced across the wall, darkening the brightly painted dragons her mother had decorated the blank ceiling with when her little Nettie was five or younger.

It only seemed like minutes later, when her mother called up the stairs that dinner was ready, the Hufflepuff girl had not realized that she had dozed off for an hour. Annette made her way to her closet, setting Digby down on the bed sheets to his proper place. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and the crusts that had seeped at the edges of her eyes, flakes of skin and dried tears.

Annette slid on a white, silky-feeling slip after the usual undergarments and then picked out a dark blue dress robe that was decorated with white glittery owls. She knotted her hair up into a twisted bun with a hair tie, and made her way back down the steps. Her heart still felt heavy, as she plastered a smile on to her face once she could see the faces of her family.

 Willow was sitting in one of the armchairs a book that was meant for Care of Magical Creatures studies was in her lap, a fire crackled warmly in the hearth. She had dark chestnut hair that was curly like corkscrews and hazel eyes, her cheeks and nose were splattered with freckles. Her cousin was wearing dress robes that were a Persian blue, decorated with reindeer, a hand-me-down from her own mother, an outfit that would make her fit in with the rest of her family, an outfit that would make it seem like she was not an outsider. But Willow and the family knew that she would only amount to something in the Muggle world and not in the Wizarding one.

Her younger sister Acantha had the same dark chocolate curly hair and freckles, but her eyes were powder blue and silver like her father’s, she was ten years old, still one year away from being able to go to Hogwarts, she still showed spurts and sputters of accidental magic, without a wand to give the magic a conductor, it was difficult for Acantha to have any control at all. When she had tried to help her mother and Aunt in the kitchen with baking cookies, the whisk went off on its own and splattered cookie batter all over the kitchen counters, cabinets, and walls.  

  Willow let out a “Tsk.” She buried her nose and eyes back into the chapter about fire crabs, a sound of annoyance, which Annette could not fully comprehend. Willow probably thought her sibling was showing off, but that was not it at all, young witches and wizards who not old enough to be trained could not control their magical outbursts, just how Willow could not help being a Squib. Willow was letting her jealousy show through like a Patronus becoming more then a wispy shield of silver mist, and showing its full form.

Willow and Acantha’s youngest sibling, a boy by the name of Meade, sat on the couch. His mother must have dressed him, instead of letting the eight-year-old pick out his own attire. He wore silver robes that were decorated with black cats wearing Christmas hats. His dark chocolate mop of curly hair, bounces as he laughs in delight. Meade has magicked a piece of leftover wrapping ribbon to swirl and twirl in the air, in order to give the feline creature in his lap something to be entertained by. Sitting in his lap, purring completely content was Annette’s half-Kneazle cat, Gilbert. Annette pulled herself away from glancing at Meade, before her brain decided to make her feel guilty about the fact that her eight-year-old cousin was born blind.

More accidental magic. But does Meade have more control of it because he was born without sight? Annette’s attention is dragged back to Willow, she cannot help but wonder if her thirteen-year-old cousin, the only one born without magic in a family of Witches and Wizards, could also bring herself to hate her little brother as well. Because even though Meade was born without sight, he can still use magic, while his eldest sibling cannot even bring a candle to light without a match or a lighter.

Annette isn’t sure if she should be angry with her Squib cousin or feel sympathy for her, but Willow was not one to receive sympathy or pity well at all. And Annette somehow feels that she doesn’t deserve it. The only noise in the living room is the sound of freshly placed logs being floated into the hearth by her brother, Quinn’s wife-to-be, Lan. The British-Chinese Witch sat down beside her soon to sister-in-law and smiled gently. Her dress robes are a soft moss-green and her dark hair is twisted and spun into an elaborate fishtail/French braid. Her face is covered in moderate and gentle strokes of makeup which only further more helps to bring out her beauty rather than hide her flaws. Lan’s grey, almost silver eyes are filled with happiness and nervousness. She is completely ignoring Willow and the commotion that Acantha had started in the kitchen. The girls, one a former Ravenclaw and the other not yet a former Hufflepuff, smile at each other, but it is one of nervousness.

Lan and Annette have only met twice before, the Christmas last year, when Quinn had brought her to this same house to meet his family for the first time, and once again during the summer before Annette had begun her fifth year and now it was nearly over. They are not really sure what to say to each other, it is Lan that finally breaks the silent with a question that Annette really wished she had not asked.

 “Where is your boyfriend?” the question feels like a stinging jinx, Annette tries to not wince or grimace, the question hurts her heat more then she thought it would.  Severus isn’t hers, no he belongs to Lily Evans, his heart does at least.

Annette should have known that she never had chance with him, not a whisper of a chance with Severus Snape. She glances at Lan and finally she finds an answer for Lan. “I don’t have one.” Before her brother’s fiancée can blabber out an apology, Annette has made her way into the kitchen with quick and determined steps to make her way to the cabinet were the glasses are kept, so she can get herself some chilled pumpkin juice or water, if only she was able to sneak some fire whiskey or her father had bothered to buy Butterbeer, she might be able to calm her slamming heart and heated cheeks.

She somehow makes it to the cabinet without getting any batter on her dress robes, most of it had been magically cleaned away, she is able to grab a cold glass between her fingers and is shocked when her father takes her glass and pours some Butterbeer from a keg that is resting on the only empty space that left on the counter, he hands it back to her, filled to the brim now, foam trickling down the side of the glass, it is warm against her fingers.

Annette smiles in relief and thanks to her father, and sips at the butterscotch like liquid, it warmed her heart and the rest of her and she was glad for the distraction, even if it was only for a few moments. Her father had a knowing smile on her face, which made tears begin at the corner of her eyes. Before she knew it, her father had his arms around her and she was sobbing into dress robes.

“Daddy…” was the only word that Annette could get out between sobs.

He placed a kiss on top of her head and gently stroked her hair. “This won’t be your only broken heart, Nettie.”

Annette sniffled loudly before looking up at her father from where her face had been buried in his dress robes. “It hurts every time?”

Baxter Negrescu held his daughter close. “But I’ll be here for you every time.”

Annette cried until she did not have any tears left, she now sat in the living room with the rest if her family, nibbling at a pumpkin and chocolate muffin with her glass of Butterbeer. The tree had been shoved into the corner of the living room as far away from the fireplace as it could be, was still undecorated, it would be Annette, Quinn, and her cousin’s chore to decorate it. Since Lan was going to be the newest member of their family, she was going to be the one to get to place the finishing touch on three, the small fire-breathing dragon, a small copy of the Common Welsh Green. It was a statue that was brought to life with a transfiguration spell.

Annette let the last of her Butterbeer slip down her throat and warms her up, a little bit of liquid courage before she could ask Quinn what she needed too. It bites at her nerves, it’s like her broken heart has teeth like Doxy, she isn’t sure if she can handle seeing Severus after he had snapped her heart in two, but she had made the promise that she would go and see him over the holiday break, and she isn’t one to break promises. She doesn’t want to lose Severus as a friend, he is dear to her. And somehow she knows that she will always love him even if he will never love her back. But there is still hope somewhere deep, deep down in heart that the Potions Protégée of Slytherin House did indeed have feelings for her too, maybe if she was lucky he was smitten with her as well.

 She held her hand over her glass as her brother went to poor her more Butterbeer from the pitcher that was on the coffee table. “I’m good.” She said with a small smile. “Quinn, I was wondering if you could apparate me over to Spinner’s End, this weekend.”

Her brother raised an eyebrow at her question. “In Cokeworth? Why would you want to go there?”

“My friend Severus invited me over to visit him during the holiday.” Annette explained, trying not to feel nervous, but it was difficult not to be.

“She’ll be fine, Quinn.” Their mother assured the eldest sibling, “Eileen Snape and I are friends, and we’ve stayed in touch since our Hogwarts days. Mind you, her husband is a Muggle and does not like magic in the least. So you need to be your best behavior, love, and not mention the magical world.”

Annette sighed, “I know, Mum.” She knew that exposing the magical world to non-magical beings was a gigantic taboo; she knew that she had to keep the fact that she was a Witch, especially around Muggles.

“I’ll take you, Nettie.” Her mother said with a soft smile.

“Ta, Mum.” Annette said, her nerves were calmed and she felt better now that she would be able to see Severus over the weekend.

It was later that night, after dinner, that Annette lay in her bed, staring up at the painted dragons that moved across the ceiling in graceful patterns, letting out different colors of smoke puffs and blazes of fire. Acantha and Willow were asleep in the bunk bed that had been brought down from the attic and reassembled for their stay this week. The Hufflepuff girl let out a frustrated sigh and buried her face into the pillow; before she knew it her tears were slipping on to the pillow case and leaving it damp from the drops.

She loved Severus, but he did not love her back. And she wished there was magical way to stop her heart from aching, but she knew that there wasn’t a potion or spell that could make the pain disappear.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I hope that you still enjoy it! I promise the next chapter will be longer. Please leave a comment!  
> -little sloth

Spinner’s End was covered in snow; a blanket of it lined the streets, cars, sidewalks, and trees. Even though the sun was shining in the sky, it was still bitter cold out. Tobias Snape stomped the snow that was clinging to the bottom of his falling-apart boots on to the threadbare rug that was below his feet. He removed his coat, scarf, and hat hanging them on the coat rack to dry as best they could before he had to go back out again to carpool with his neighbor to work at the Mill. The scent of coffee brewing hit his nostrils and almost made him smile, almost.

The coffee would at least keep him awake at work. The patriarch of the Snape family and the owner of the horribly taken care of house, the floors creaked and groaned at the slightest push of weight was pressed upon them. The sink faucet leaked, slow drops of ugly, dirty water, the color of mud, he was just glad it didn’t taste like it. He poured some of the coffee into a mug with a cracked side and a cracked off handle, and added a dollop of milk to it before sipping at the freshly made brew.

He glanced up, as the floor squeaked and creaked underneath the chilled bare feet of his wife,  Eileen making her way down toward him, she was in her dressing gown, it was frayed and worn, it used to be the color of a red rose. Her dark raven hair was braided back to keep it out her face when she slept. Eileen still did not look fully awake, but what angered her husband was the fact that she had her wand out.

His wife was a Witch, gifted or born, whichever it was, and she had her wand out. Hadn’t he told her that she couldn’t use her wand in front of him? It was made out of vine wood and had a Kelpie hair as it core when Eileen had first told him she was a Witch, she had told him excitedly about the day she had gotten her wand from a Wizard named Garrick Ollivander. At first, he thought that she had escaped from an insane asylum and had somehow convinced him to marry her with beauty and bright outlook on almost everything in life.

It was not until a lady with dark chestnut hair with a Scottish accent appeared at their door, wearing square-framed spectacles and dark green cloak wrapped around her. It had been winter, in fact, it had been Severus’s birthday, he was six years of age and had been reading through a children’s book when the whistling sound of the teakettle on the stove made him cry out in alarm and caused the teakettle to start cracking and then explode sending boiling water everywhere. That was when Eileen used her wand for the first time in front of him since their marriage to cast a Shield Charm. And right after the Charm had been cast the Scottish woman in a forest green cloak appeared at their door.

She had explained in a calm voice to Tobias what had happened with his son, an accidental spurt of magic, and how his wife had used her controlled magic to protect them. It was then that Tobias lost his temper and shot up from his seat on the couch. His dark green eyes flashed with anger as he rounded on Eileen, his face contorted into rage. “You have given me a freak for a son!”

Now in the early morning with the sun barely peeking past the time that had once been dawn, she had her wand pointed at him, it was nine years past the day that his son had shown his _gift_ for magic, and still Tobias despised his son and his wife for being _unnatural_ , and she had the gall to point her wand at him.

He set his coffee mug down at the table and walked toward her, rage boiling in his blood. He grabbed her thin wrist in his meaty calloused hand, and pushed her into the wall behind her until she let out a whimper of pain and her wand tumbled out of her hand and on to the floor. He then backhanded her across the face, Eileen slumped to the floor, she had one hand pressed to the side of her face as she half-crawled, half-dragged herself to where her wand was, she clutched it in her hand like her lifeline and aimed it at Tobias, one spell and he would be out of their lives forever, one Unforgivable Curse and Severus would not have to fear his own life or hers anymore.

But this one Unforgivable Curse would send her to Azkaban for the rest of her life, and Severus would be thrown into foster care until he was old enough to be on his own. Unless her sister, Calanthia would be kind enough to take Severus into her home.

It was the sound of their neighbor’s truck honking outside of their home, that unfroze the moment they had been trapped in. Tobias still scowled at her and shrugged on his winter coat before leaving the house and inside the truck. Eileen let out a shaky sigh of relief and relinquished her grip on her wand, the sparks of the spell that had been forming in her mind and nearly past her lips.

 She struggled to get her feet, the backhanded blow from her husband had left her reeling and feeling like she was on a rowboat in the middle of the ocean that was getting tossed and turned by a storm. Somehow Eileen made her way to the kitchen table and sat down in one of the rickety chairs. She used her wand to levitate some ice cubes into a washcloth that was in the sink, and then on to the table. She was glad that the drapes were closed in the living room windows and in the kitchen.

Their neighbor who lived next-door to them was a nosy woman. Eileen pressed the poorly made ice pack to her face and struggled not wince at the bruise that had already started forming. She glanced up at the kitchen clock as it ticked toward six thirty in the morning.

How much longer could she fight Tobias, how much longer she could survive his hits? Tears filled Eileen’s watery blue eyes as she made her way toward the kitchen and began to dig out a pan and the ingredients to make homemade waffles. She at least wanted her son to have a somewhat pleasant holiday before he returned to Hogwarts. 


	20. Chapter 20

The ice cubes had melted long ago, the raggedy washcloth was now back hanging in the basin of the sink, water slowly trickling down and into the drain. The bruise that had formed on Eileen’s cheek still throbbed like heated coals or a hot woodstove, a stinging burning ache that would take a while to cease. The lyrics of the song, “Behind Blue Eyes” by the band The Who could be heard playing from Severus’s room on his gramophone.

Eileen Snape let a sigh escape her lips as she adjusted the basket of clean and folded laundry in her hands, she did not want her son to see the bruise on her face. They would start arguing that they should move away and leave Tobias to rot in his own piss and alcohol, but how far would they get without any money, Muggle or Wizarding?  Severus did not understand that it was because of his father that they even had a roof; even it was leaking a little, over their heads.

They were much better off living in the slums of Spinner’s End then ending up living in the streets as beggars. Eileen set the basket down for a second and adjusted her hair, scrapping the raven black locks with her thin and long fingers to cover the sides of her face like a curtain rather than having it be tucked back behind her shoulders. With her hair in this manner, she hoped it would hide the black and blue markings, and the cut from Tobias’s wedding ring from view. At least hide the marks of abuse long enough for her deliver the laundry, and leave the room.

Eileen knocked on the door gently, loud enough for her son to hear her. When she entered the room, her son’s bed was wrinkled and unkempt and slightly dirty, just like his hair and clothing. The once proud Slytherin Witch tried to hide back a disgusted sigh, but could not help herself. She took the book that Severus was reading out of his hands, it was a shabby second-hand copy of _The Great Gatsby_ , she ignored his scowl as he righted himself from where he had been laying propped up by his two pillows that were slowly losing their fluffiness.

Instead of just turning down the volume, Severus removed the needle from the record entirely and slipped the vinyl back into its cover and into its rightful spot. He looked down at his baggy t-shirt and jeans, and hole-filled socks. A shower and fresh clothes would hopefully improve his mood greatly, and then he would head into town to get Lily her Christmas present. His eyes narrowed as his mother set the basket down and a glimpse of the bruise on her face was seen.

“He hit you?” Severus asked his mother, approaching her almost in the way a person would go near a frightened animal.

“I’ll be fine.” Eileen replied, dodging the question the best she could. She tried to ignore her son’s look of concern.

She then walked toward him and before he could protest she wrapped him into a warm embrace. Her wool sweater smelt of lilac, dish soap, and potion ingredients. He could not help the smile that somehow found its way passed the angry frown. At least his mother could use her magical gifts when his father was at work. Eileen gently brushed a kiss to her son’s raven colored hair and smiled softly.

“I made waffles and bacon for breakfast. Come down when you’re proper.”

After a quick shower, Severus headed toward the kitchen table in a clean navy-blue shirt, which were faded and a tad too big for his frame, the jeans were tattered and filled with holes like Swiss cheese, he had to borrow one his father’s belts just to keep them from falling. The hoodie he was wearing was a camel brown, worn and faded, thin and yet still comfortable. His trainers were beginning to come apart at the bottom making flapping sounds like the flippers that divers wore; they almost looked like they were smiling. The shoelaces were frayed and difficult to tie since they were starting to look like spaghetti noodles.

The waffles and bacon filled his stomach as Severus grabbed the hand-me-down coat from his father off of the rack and shrugged it on, he slid his wand into the inside pocket of the coat. He might not have been able to do magic outside of Hogwarts yet, but he liked knowing that he was different then the Muggles that made Spinner’s End their home.

The snow had almost turned to slush as he made his way outside and into the bitter cold wind of winter that greeted him. He ignored the cold drops that splashed down his neck from the icicles that were melting on the roof. He made his way down the sidewalk and toward the bus stop that would take him in to town, so he could pick up the latest Beatles record for Lily.

He did not bother with sitting on the bench that was at the bus stop, instead he walked back and forth on his heels waiting as patiently as he could. The bus chugged to a stop in front of the fifteen-year-old as Severus made his way on to bus and dug the change out of his pocket and but in the slot to pay for his ride. He kept the hood of hoodie pulled over his face as he sat down in the far back away from a wrinkled old lady dressed from head to toe in lavender and the Muggle neighbor boy that lived across the street.

Severus dozed off for a moment until the bus lurched to a sudden stop, sending the young Wizard forward and nearly into a face plant on the disgusting floor. He quickly made his way off of the bus and into the record store, weaving through the crowded sidewalk.

The record store almost calmed him immediately when he entered, the girl working at the checkout counter was wearing a black t-shirt with a sky-blue rabbit on it, the sweater she was wearing was a dull grey, opened in order to expose the shirt beneath. Her hair was a frightening shade of chalk-white with dark blue highlights; he could practically feel himself sinking as he eyed her beautiful heart-shaped face and hazel green eyes. She looked up from the magazine she was reading, her army boots clunking to the floor heavily, the bubble she had been blowing with her gum, popped, sending an echo throughout the nearly empty shop, around her neck was a bronze and navy-blue tie. She smiled at Severus and flashed him a peace sign before disappearing back behind her magazine.

The Slytherin fifth year shook his head and recognized the girl as Kevyn Dee Ruggles, a seventh year and Lucius Malfoy’s current heartthrob. He had given up on trying to woo Narcissa Black for a slightly healthier friends-with-benefits relationship with Kevyn. He had also exposed the fact to Severus that the Ravenclaw had some Veela blood in her. He made his way to the counter with the record, _Help_ (!) by the Beatles tucked under his arm. With Lucius having already graduated from Hogwarts after Severus’ first year had finished. Severus knew that Kevyn and Lucius met at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop on weekends, Lucius would practically brag about it. But Severus also knew that would not last, Lucius was to wed Narcissa Black, it was an arranged marriage between the two Pureblood families. Lucius would probably end up crushing Kevyn’s heart before the year was over, or perhaps he already had.

The bus ride home was slow and nearly bored him to sleep as he sluggishly made his way back inside the house and into the kitchen to grab some old newspaper and tape. His mother sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a mug of tea. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion.

She smiled softly at her son, “A gift for Lily?” the question came out with a little bit of concern added to it, her son had worked hard all last summer doing yardwork in wealthier towns in order to earn money, and he was spending it on a Muggle-Born Witch. Surly, Lily Evans would understand if Severus did not get her a gift for Christmas.

Eileen quickly stopped the dishes from washing themselves with a motion that looked like she was pushing an elevator button with the tip of her wand, the pan and mixing bowl plopped back into the sink spraying suds and boiling hot water on to the floor. It was the headlights from their neighbor’s truck that made Eileen quickly slipped her wand up the sleeve of her sweater, hooking it into one of the loops, while Severus made his way to his room with the record a stack of newspapers and the scotch tape. Tobias entered the house looking worn out, his fingers covered in Band-Aids.  

His wife set a plate of spaghetti in front of him and a cold beer, knowing that the single bottle would not be his only one that night. He worked his hurt fingers against a lighter, a cigarette dangling in between his lips as he struggled to light it. It took several heavy curse thick sentences before his second addiction was lit and glowing. His eyes narrowed at Eileen in either hatred or curiosity, Eileen could not tell which one, and she sat down across from him and twirled her own spaghetti on to her fork.

Her eyes drifted to the stairs as Severus came down the steps and gathered his own dinner on to his plate before joining his mother and father at the table. The dinner meal was practically silent, that was until Tobias noticed the water on the floor that Eileen had not wiped up yet. He stood up from the table, his chair teetering on its back legs until it clattered to the floor behind him. The cigarette that he had been smoking fell from his lips and into his spaghetti, but that didn’t bother him. His dark eyes were filled with fury and disgust as he glared at his wife.

“You wanted me to slip on that and crack my skull open, didn’t you?!” He growled.

Severus slipped as quietly as he could away from the table, his dinner plate in his hands as he rushed up the squeaking and splintered stairs and into the safety of his room. He could not shut the door fast enough in order to block out his parents’ screaming. His father continued to scream profanities at his mother, and it was his mother’s cry of pain that made Severus cringe, he could not stop his father from hurting his mother and that made him feel sick to stomach, his stomach twisting into tight and painful knots. He turned on his record player after slipping in The Who record he had been listening to earlier. “Behind Blue Eyes” played as Severus ate his dinner with shaking fingers.

He waited until he could hear his father’s bear-like snores in the living room before he made his way down the steps quiet and quick, his now empty plate in his hands. He found his mother quivering and whimpering on her hands and knees on the kitchen floor wiping up the dishwater. Both sides of her face were now bruised, her lip was split and bleeding down her cheeks, her wrist was twisted at an odd angle and there were tears slipping down her face.

Severus bit back several words he wanted to say to his father. “Mum…we should go to Saint Mungo’s…” he said in a gentle whisper, he took the rag out of her hands and set it in the sink. He then got his mother to her feet and helped her get into her coat; it was a clumsy and slow effort. He buried himself in his own, ignoring the beer bottles that were scattered around the couch, the television blaring a late talk show. He made sure that his mother had her own wand before they made their way outside. Eileen Snape did not bother to protest her son’s actions, to help her, to protect her from further harm.

Once they were at least two blocks away from the house, Severus, still supporting his sobbing mother, raised his wand arm high in the air. A minute later a dark purple triple deck bus rushed to a screeching stop in front of them. The driver opened up the doors with a flurry as mother and son boarded the bus, sitting in the front most rows.

The driver looked concerned at Eileen and Severus Snape. He cleared his throat before asking with a gruff voice. “Where to?”

Severus answered quickly and almost too quietly for the driver to hear, “Saint Mungo’s.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I would like to give a huge thank you to one of my dearest and best friends in the world, Elvenheart993. She helped me to write a lot of these later chapters, so I am giving her credit where credit is due. She also helped me through writer's block and helped me to not drown in the overwhelming pressure that is writing a novel-length fanfic. She wrote out Remus and his mother, Hope. Please go give her fanfic, Call of the Moon, featuring Remus, a chance! It is fantastic!  
> -little sloth

The Knight Bus stopped a block away from a red brick condemned department store, with the faded lettering _Purge and Dowse, LTD_ hanging from a sign that was on, it was starting to fall of the roof. Severus helped his mother off of the Knight Bus and down the block toward the window of the falling-to-pieces department store, in the window stood a mannequin with an ugly blonde wig that was practically falling off of her bald head, there was a crack along the side of her face, and her clothes were only a jumper and long skirt that floated past unmoving knees and feet, there were also moth holes everywhere on the attire, leaving the young wizard to think that someone in their haste to dress the mannequin had only done it, so the Muggles would not be staring, pointing, and muttering about a shop having a naked dummy in their display window.

It was his mother who hesitantly made her way toward the display window, her words fogging up the glass as she said with a shaking voice, whether it was from pain or nervousness her son could not tell.

“E-Emergency services needed.”

The dummy turned to stare at her with blank, faded painted eyes, its mouth not even opening, all it did was nod at a snail’s pace, and beckoned them in with a crooked finger, Just as its arm fell off with a hollow thud, and both mother and son entered through the shop display window to the inside of Saint Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Severus helped his mother to sit in a chair in the waiting room; it was rickety and wobbled a little because the legs of it were uneven. her face twisted in agony, and it pained Severus to see his mother like this. The fifteen-year-old boy tried to ignore the stares of the elderly witch, who was trying to support the elephant trunk that had replaced her grandson's usual human nose, so it would not drag on the floor. Another boy across the way, was busy vomiting up slugs into a bucket. Severus approached the desk where the receptionist was sitting. He waited patiently for her to look up and notice him. She had light brown curls that framed her face and tickled her shoulders. Though still in her late thirties, her hair was greying and lines creased her face. Oddly enough she wasn't writing with a quill, but a muggle fountain pen.

She looked up and smiled. "How can we help you?"

"My mother needs to see a Healer." Severus said, indicating to his mother. He tried to keep the anger and worry out of his voice. He was angry with himself for being a coward and hiding in his bedroom, he was angry because he was not able to protect her from being hurt.

She only had to glance at the woman to just see how hurt she was and gasped. Maintaining her composure she ruffled around for a form and pushed it over the desk towards him. "If you would just fill this out and have a seat...your mother’s name please?"

"Eileen Snape." Severus said quietly and went to help his mother fill out the forms, with her dominate hand likely being broken, once the forms were filled out the best they could be, Severus returned them trying not feel nervous but he could not help it when he noticed Remus behind the desk, studying for their upcoming Herbology O.W.L.

There was a loud thunk and an "Ow!" and the Gryffindor lifted his head, rubbing where it had struck the desk in shock. "Snape?"

The receptionist, apparently his mother, tutted and looked between the two teenagers staring at one another before smiling kindly at Snape. "We'll be with you as soon as we can, take a seat."

Severus nodded and sat down beside his mother. The waiting room was silent with unannounced curiosity, it seemed to hang over the fifteen year old Slytherin, it only became noisy when the little boy wizard with the elephant trunk for a nose had to blow it, and instead trumpeted very loudly. A Healer approached Hope, the muggle secretary, as she went to take Eileen Snape's forms.

She let out a sigh that was filled with pity and sadness. "Mrs. Lupin, I am going to need you to send an owl to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. This is the tenth time this month that Mrs. Snape has been here for this same type of injuries."

Hope swallowed a lump. Some things were a little too like the muggle world now. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, still unused to using owls to carry mail. "An owl..."

"I'll do it for you, Mum." Remus' eyes still had not left Snape and his mother and he abandoned his textbook. He hadn't seen this coming at all.

Severus followed after his mother as the Mediwitch led them to a private room; it was painted a pale green, the bed was able adjust itself in accordance to the patient’s height, the Mediwitch had a kind face and voice, which seemed to make Eileen feel a little more at ease. Her son left it when the Healer asked his mother to change into a hospital gown, only to bump into Remus who was heading toward the Owlery that was within Saint Mungo's.

Remus' grip seemed to tighten slightly on the letter in his hand and he looked instead at the wall over the Slytherin's shoulder instead of right at him. "Snape..."

Severus only glared at him coldly, his scowl only deepened. "If you want to say something then just say it."

The Gryffindor's eyes suddenly snapped to him. "Do I look like I'm saying anything?" He snapped and lowered his voice. "I don't think it's a joke if that's what you mean."

Severus scowl disappeared for a moment, a thought flashing across his face. "I need to send a letter...it's important."

The envelope crumpled slightly and Remus slowly relaxed his grip on it. "The Owlery is up this way." His voice was a slightly forced civility as though he was trying desperately to defuse the awkwardness of running into Severus in the hospital of all places.

The Slytherin sat down at the desk that was in the Owlery and quickly wrote up a note to Annette to let her know what was going on and had a small barn owl send it to her. He then looked over at Remus. "They're going to ask questions..." He did not mean to say the sentence aloud because when he did it was just all too real, and far more painful then he thought it would be.

"Welcome to my world." Remus said quietly, stroking the feathers of a Snowy owl as he tied the letter to its leg.

Severus glared at him and left the Owlery, leaving Remus all alone in the room save for the hooting of owls and ruffled feathers, some floating down like the snowflakes outside.

Minutes felt like hours, Severus sat outside of his mother’s room in the hospital. He had slid himself down on his bottom of the polished tiled floor, he had counted the tiles so many times, he had lost count of the actual numbers that there were of the colors of a light powdery blue and a pearl white, on them was the insignia of Saint Mungo’s, a wand crossed with a bone. On the white tiles it was a powdery blue, on the blue tiles the insignia was a pearl white. He had pulled his knees up to his chest with his chin resting on top of the caps, his arms wrapped around his legs, closer to his knees.

He could hear the Healer murmuring spells that he had heard her say many times before already, Healer Sorley Munroe, a thin Witch with the frame of someone who could have been a Muggle ballerina, her hair was the color of wheat dried and dead, always plaited in a braid that could have been like a coronet if she was royalty. Her face was splattered with a couple of beauty marks and her eyes were the color of freshly polished pennies. She was always smiling, she had been here the first time he and his mother had to come here for help, Severus had been seven, and his father had dislocated his mother’s arm, she also had had a split lip and blood and been dripping down her chin in a slow river, spotting her black and white checkered knee-length dress. They had been preparing for a small family gathering, his father’s family had been coming to visit and then his mother had accidently dropped a pitcher of lemonade and Tobias had nearly stepped on the glass with bare feet.

That had been the first fight that Severus could remember, and Healer Munroe had brought him hot chocolate with tiny giggling marshmallows and a couple of cauldron cakes that were still warm.

Now it was worse, worse because he could not protect his mother. Even though he was so close, just two more years, that was all. Just two more years.

He heard Healer Munroe saying the spells, ‘ _E_ _p_ _iskey_ ’, for healing his mother’s split lip and broken hooked nose. ‘  _Tergeo_ ’, for cleaning up the dried blood that had caked against the cut on his mother’s face when his father’s wedding ring had cut into her cheek, and another cut that was on her jaw. ‘ _Ferula_ ’ that bound his mother’s broken wrist into a splint and wrap it in a bandage.

It was the clicking and sliding slip of snow boots against the floor that made Severus look up and his attention to be drawn away from what was happening in the room where his mother was.

Standing in front of him, her copper hair loose and frazzled, windswept and untidy, covered in snowflakes, her cheeks red from the cold and her olive green eyes gleaming with worry and fear was Annette. Her coat was salmon pink and she took it off, she looked slightly green and was shaking as she sunk down beside him. underneath the coat she was wearing a fern green and white checkered hoodie, underneath was a t-shirt that matched the color of her coat and had an owl on the front in a tree, the tree was as black as ink, the owl was camel brown, the lettering that was written on it was also in black it said, ‘the owls are not what they seem’. Her hands were still shaking, as she suddenly took his hand in her own, her hands were freezing, but Severus did not let go, for some reason he could not bring himself too. It felt right, nice to holding the Hufflepuff girl’s hand.

“When I got your letter, I came as fast as I could…but I had to come with my dad.” Annette’s voice was a whisper when she spoke.

Severus glanced up again as a witch and wizard came down the hallway, they were wearing navy blue cloaks with concreate gray robes, pinned where their hearts were, were badges that were silver with what looked like a spikey explosion silver firework on it along with dark blue navy lettering that said, DM on the top and LE on the bottom. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement, one man had hair that was such a dark brown, it was nearly black hair and cropped army short. He had the same drab olive green eyes as Annette, he looked as if he was built like a barge, a broad chest. Severus' suspicions were finalized when the Medi-Witch who had admitted his mother called him, “Officer Negrescu.” The other was a Witch with blonde curly hair and cornflower blue eyes, the Mediwitch called her, “Officer CartWright.”

“My dad will help your mum…” Annette whispered, watching as her father and his partner entered the room where Eileen was waiting with Healer Munroe.

“Thank you for being here.” Severus said, and found himself feeling a little calmer with the Witch that he was tutoring in Potions.

“Anytime…” Annette replied, a blush now flamed within her cheeks, and it was not from the cold. “But why didn’t you owl, Lily?”

Severus could not believe he was confessing this aloud when he said, “I didn’t think of her…my first thought was you.”


	22. Chapter 22

The blinding flash of the light bulb from the camera hurt her eyes and the purple smoke that came from the device smelt fowl, like incense burning. Eileen could not help the tears pooled from her eyes as a photo was snapped to show the evidence that her Muggle husband, Tobias Snape did indeed beat her. After the pictures were taken and being developed, soaked in a basin that was filled with the same amethyst colored potion that filled the camera, Eileen was able to take a potion to reduce the pain, swelling, and bruising, it would take at least two weeks before she was back to her natural looking self. She watched as Healer Munroe waved her wand over to a quill and a bottle of ink, so the prescription for the healing potion could be written. Standing in the room, behind the now closed door were two officers from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Witch with the blonde corkscrew curls and cornflower blue eyes, handed the sobbing mother a handkerchief that was black with white doves sewn into the center as a flock, feathers were stitched into the corners, it smelt strongly of lavender.

Eileen dabbed the tears away as gingerly as she could, but she still found herself wincing in pain as if Tobias was still hitting her. They had taken pictures of her battered and bruised body wasn’t that enough evidence? But no, they needed her words, her confession. They needed her to tell them just how bad her Muggle husband was to her. But they would not understand, without Tobias, her and Severus would not have a place to live, a place to call home. And he had not always been this way… they had loved each other once.

It had been when they both seventeen, Tobias was still attending Form, (the equivalent to an American senior in High School), His hair was dark and shaggy, nearly raven black and he had it pulled back in a small ponytail to keep it out of his face. He was sitting in the coffee shop that Eileen was currently working at, a Muggle coffee shop during the week, and then at the Leaky Cauldron that lead as a gateway Diagon Alley, she was working there as a housekeeper. The young Witch was saving up to move out into her own flat and to prove to her parents that she could, very well indeed take care of herself.

The muggle boy with the hazel eyes and raven hair was wearing a disheveled navy-blue sweater with a white and gold tie, and a white button up shirt underneath. He had books piled in his arms for Biology and Anatomy. Eileen still could not believe that she had taken a job at a Muggle shop, her mother had first had been shocked at the news, but was proud of her daughter nonetheless. Eileen’s younger sister, Calanthia was in her fifth year of Hogwarts, a fellow Slytherin and now taking over her sister’s job as Captain of Hogwarts’ Gobstone Club. Well, she was almost a fifth year; this summer was the year before she would start it.

As the young handsome Muggle boy sat down at a small table in the corner, Eileen took out her pen and her pad of paper in order to write down his order and give it to the cook that was in the kitchen, humming some type of sea shanty rather loudly with a thick Irish accent. When she approached the Muggle boy in Form year, she could not help but feel nervous; her cheeks began to turn a light pink, blush.

“What can I get you today?” The sentence came out as an automatic soft and kind voice, not nervous and full of stutters like she actually felt.

“Just eggs Florentine and tea will be fine.” He replied his voice was husky.

Eileen nodded and scribbled down the order, hooking the slip of paper up in the open window that was between the kitchen and the diner. It was like that for weeks, nearly a month, every Thursday the Muggle boy would come into the coffee shop with some textbook and homework, order the same thing and then leave with only a simple “Thank you.”

It wasn’t until the next Thursday that as Eileen was finishing up cleaning the tables and putting dirty cups and dishes into a bin for the dishwasher that the Muggle boy with hazel eyes and hair as dark as a raven’s wing entered the coffee shop. He was wearing a plain old t-shirt that had a couple of oil stains and a pair of ratty jeans, for once he was not in his school uniform. Then again, it was almost the end of her shift, the sun was beginning to set, turning the wood that made the floors, tables, chairs, and countertops turn into a rosy pink.

Eileen turned to face the person who had made the bell at the top jingle. The words, “I’m sorry, we’re closed.” Were on her lips before she realized who it was, a soft smile graced her mouth and she could feel her heart starting to race. “I’m Eileen Prince.” She said, feeling like an idiot standing in her waitress dress that was a pale blue, with a pink and white checkered apron, her nametag had gone slightly lopsided.

“Tobias Snape.” He said with a grin, a nearly Prince Charming smile. “I was wondering if you would like to go out for coffee sometime, not here obviously…”

Eileen tucked a strand of her own ink black hair behind her hair, “Sure, I mean…yes that would be wonderful.”

It seemed kismet, the two of them together. Their first date ended up being in a park on a warm sunny day, a picnic actually, the blanket was a little rough, and it itched against Eileen’s legs as she tried to tuck her Carmine sundress underneath her knees to keep the itchy fabric of the blanket at bay. Her leather sandals crisscrossed against the top of her feet, she had put on gentle touches of makeup and had braided her hair back into a simple twist with a Carmine ribbon to match her dress. Tobias was wearing khakis and a button down fern green shirt.

Eileen would always remember their first date, Tobias had brought fish and chips, still warm. They ate in silence for the most part, discussed their favorite colors and favorite subjects, Eileen made sure that she called Potions, “Chemistry” and that she referred to Gobstones as “Marbles”. She was happy that she had taken Muggle Studies while she was Hogwarts.

Their first kiss was when Tobias dropped her off in front of the Leaky Cauldron, but to him it simply looked like an old broken down shop on Charing Cross Road. Once Tobias had left, Eileen entered the Leaky Cauldron greeted by Tom the Landlord and some of his customers. Eileen gathered her robes from the Barkeep, he had gladly stored them for her, while she went off on her date with the Muggle boy. She made her way to an empty room and pulled on the forest green robes, before she made her way back to the bar.

She smiled softly in greeting to some of the customers and made her way toward the back of the pub, where the courtyard waited.

She tapped the bricks in an anti-clockwork order with her wand, once the bricks had shifted showing Diagon Alley, Eileen stepped through and waited until the bricks rearranged themselves back to their proper places before she made her way to Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, she needed to pick up ingredients for the Girding Potion and the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, she would need both to get through her weekend working at the Leaky Cauldron.

Eileen Snape loved the mix of scents that swirled around the inside of Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, it almost felt like a second home to her, like Hogwarts had once been. The packages were waiting for her, she was glad that she had Owled ahead the orders that she needed. Both packages of ingredients were wrapped up in brown paper and tied up in strings, written on the packages in fluent and neat handwriting in quill ink was Girding Potion and Elixir to Induce Euphoria of the shopkeeper, Celso Bartolomei, a tall and gangly young man with white blonde hair and fern green eyes, who was a few years her senior, he was a third year Gryffindor when she had first started at Hogwarts.

She put the packages of her ingredients into her shopping bag, paid Celso, and headed out the door, back into the summer heat. Eileen met her sister at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. They both had the same hooked nose, and ink black hair, but their eyes were different. Eileen’s were blue-grey, while her sister’s were a crystal blue. She sat outside at one of the tables with its rainbow umbrella. Calanthia, soon-to-be a fifth-year Slytherin, was busy digging her spoon into a helping of white chocolate banana ice cream.

The fifteen year old had just put a mouthful of the sweet treat on her tongue, when she noticed her sister. The very recent Hogwarts graduate smiled and sat down across from her sister, when a young Witch came over to take her order. Eileen ordered a double scoop of chocolate fudge and plucked the book that her sister was reading from underneath her nose. _Grammatica_ , by M. Carneiro was now in her hands.

Eileen was busy dodging her sister’s scowl because she had taken her reading materiel. The elder of the two smiled softly, “Arithmancy, huh?”

“You’re good with brewing magic and I am good with numbers.” Calanthia replied, and took her book back.

Eileen smiled, nearly laughing between scoops of ice cream. “I know. Maybe you should have been in Ravenclaw.”

Calanthia let out a snorting sound of disgust. “I’m not wise, I’m just cunning.” Her disgust suddenly switched to curiosity, as she raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. “You went to go see that Muggle boy.”

“I did.” Her eldest and oldest sister confirmed with a nod.

The soon-to-be Fifth Year sighed, the breath of air was nearly laced with pity. “Mum is not going to like you dating a Muggle."

Eileen’s reply was only two words, two words that hurt to say aloud. “I know.”

Her marriage to Tobias Snape started out almost like a fairytale, a wedding that little girl’s dreamed of, that Eileen had dreamed of. Her dress was shimmering silver like a Muggle quarter or nickel; she had a dark moss green ribbon around her waist. Her hair was wrapped up in a bun that was twisted and coiled; a braid was also wrapped within in it. Holding it together was an oil black snake pin with ruby red eyes, something borrowed from her mother, it was also old. Ancient, something every woman in her mother’s family had worn on their own wedding day.

Her something new was her husband, Tobias Snape. Her sister, Calanthia was one of her bridesmaids; along with one of her best friend from Ravenclaw House was Delora Drummond. The third bridesmaid was Tobias’s little sister, Tilly. The one thing that Eileen hated the most was the fact that had to hide a part of her from the man that she loved, that she was a Witch.

They wed when they were both eighteen.

At first, their marriage was lovely, nearly picture perfect. They moved into Tobias’s family home, a gift from his father on his death bed. They moved into Cokeworth on Spinner’s End. Tobias worked long hours at the woolen mill. Eileen stayed home and took care of the house. When her Muggle husband was not home, Eileen used cleaning charms to keep the house tidy, that was only time she took out her wand.

Six months later, Eileen was pregnant with her baby boy, and she in a desperate attempt to keep her family together and alive used magic to save her husband.

Tobias had been heading up the stairs with a bucket of paint in order to coat the walls in a soft blue, when he tripped on the last step up, and nearly went tumbling down the stairs, he had almost cracked his head on the landing, when he realized with shock and awe that he was floating inches away from near death. Standing on the top of the second flight of stairs was Eileen, a polished piece of wood, no it was a wand.

His wife had cast a spell on him, he didn’t learn until much later that she was not trying to kill him, but instead save him from certain death. Eileen had cast _Arresto Momentum_ on him. Later that night, he learned that his wife was Witch. Later and for much of their marriage, he would strike her and pummel her in order to diminish the threat that his wife had become. But he would not admit to himself that it was fear, oh no that would never happen, instead he turned it into anger and jealousy.

It was another blinding flash from the lightbulb on the camera that dragged Eileen out of her memories. She finally answered the question that the officers from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had been asking her. “My husband abuses me.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again a big thank you to Elvenheart993, who helped with the Remus and Severus scenes. You will be getting two chapters today because I was unable to update this weekend. Chapter twenty-five will be posted on Saturday as usual, please leave a comment or a kudos.
> 
> -little sloth

Severus had fallen asleep, with Annette's head on shoulder, both of them sound asleep despite all of the commotion. Annette and Severus were still holding hands, when Hope put a blanket into Remus's arms, "Take this to your schoolmates."

Remus blinked and looked between his mother and the blanket. His parents didn't know how his own friends far from got along with Severus Snape and frankly hated each other. "Wh-Mum..." He shut his mouth when she raised her eyebrows sternly and sighed. "Fine..." Making his way down the corridor he glanced down at the pair holding hands and somewhat awkwardly cleared his throat.

Severus awoke quickly, a blush flaming his cheeks as he released the hold he had on the Hufflepuff girl's hand. "What do you want?"

The Gryffindor sighed and his eyes flicked very briefly to where their hands had been. He held out the folded blanket. "My mother wanted me to come..."

Severus took the blanket from Remus and draped it around Annette. He righted himself and muttered something that could have been a 'Thank You" and glanced at the lion. "You're staring, Lupin."

Remus averted his eyes and slipped his hands into the pockets of his worn and faded jeans. "I'm sorry." He offered, and sat down a few feet away. "for your mother."

Severus sighed, "T-This isn't the first time." He bit his lip, why did he think that telling Remus, Remus Lupin was going to help in any way, shape, or form. How could he understand?

"Merlin..."Remus looked up in surprise. This was very possibly the longest they had ever directly spoken civilly. His green eyes widened just a little. "I'm sorry." He repeated and glanced at Annette. "She got here quickly."

"Her father is one of the...officers..." Snape said, it shocked him that without Remus's little gang around it was possible to actually hold a conversation with him.

The Gryffindor frowned and glanced from Severus, down the end of the corridor, and back again. He had no idea what Snape's life was really like but he could imagine that what had hurt him and his mother hadn't been an accident. It made the bullying seem all that much crueler. He scratched uneasily at the back of his head. "I'm not going to tell them, if that's what you're worried about."

Just as Remus said that, James, Peter, and Sirius entered the hospital, walking down the hallway, their coats covered in snow.

Sirius' laughter carried down the hall loudly and without much thought he shouted down the hall. "There he is!" A passing medi-witch glared at him, and he had the decency to lower his voice a little. "We've come to rescue you, Moony, from wasting holidays studyi-"

Severus gave all three of them an icy-cold glare; Sirius's shouting had woken up Annette who was looking around sleepily before she saw her father and his partner leaving the room where Eileen Snape was. "If it's alright with you, Daddy. I'm going to stay with Severus."

Her father nodded and helped his youngest child off of the floor before he hugged her. "Alright, just be safe." He glanced at group of boys and only shook his head before apparating out with his partner.

"What are you doing here, Remus?" Peter asked, brushing snowflakes out of his hair.

"Forget that, what's Snivellus doing here?" James interrupted, adjusting his glasses.

Remus sighed and looked sideways at Severus and Annette.

Annette made her way back toward Severus, gently holding onto his hand. "That isn't any of your business, Potter." Severus growled, his other hand reaching inside his coat for his wand.

The Healer that was in with his mother emerged, looking grim. She then noticed the Maurders and said in a no-nonsense matter of a tone. "If you boys don't have any reason to be here, then leave."

Sirius whose eyes flew immediately to Annette and Snape's hands shut his mouth before he could say anything about it.

"Come on, Remus, I needa find a present for Evans." James said without moving his eyes from the Slytherin. "You should come round for the night too, Wormtail is."

"You know I can't, James." Remus got to his feet with his friends.

While they were talking Severus went into the room where his mother was, Annette followed after, waving goodbye to Remus. Once the door was shut again, the conversation between the Maurders became muffled. Annette tried not to wince when she saw how battered Mrs. Snape was. Her grey-blue eyes were now clouded over, thanks to the healing potion and she seemed much more relaxed, but something buried beyond the fogginess of the potion made the mother of Severus, sit up in a slightly sluggish manner and hug her son tightly.

“Thank you for bringing me here.” There were fresh tears now streaming from her eyes and they were soaking into Severus’s long stringy hair. “I’m sorry, but the Officers are going to go pick up your father and bring him in for questioning…there wasn’t any way that I could stop them.”

The fifteen-year-old Slytherin did not seem to be all that concerned with what was going to happen with his father. He gently dragged Annette closer to his mother. “Mum, this is Annette. She came here to…stay with me.”

Eileen smiled softly, the best that she could at any rate, “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. It is lovely to meet you nonetheless.”

Annette smiled in return. “It is very nice to meet you, Mrs. Snape.”

Eileen turned her bruised and swollen face toward her son, her only child. “Your Aunt Calanthia will be coming…to get you…I think it’ll be better if you stay with her and your cousins. At least for a little while.”

Severus could only nod; he barely remembered his cousins or his Aunt. The last time he had seen them had been at his Aunt’s husband’s funeral, Uncle Otto, an Irish Half-Blood Wizard. He had died during Severus’s third year in Hogwarts, some type of accident, a horrible accident involving a Kelpie. His cousins, Margaret and Leopold would now be eleven and eight years of age now, instead of attending Hogwarts, his cousin, Leopold would have started at Durmstrang Institute in Sweden this year.

Severus glanced down at Annette’s fingers the ones that were entangled with his own, and he did not let go, he couldn’t and for some reason it felt right holding her hand. The sound of someone apparating into the waiting room startled Annette, making her almost jump out of her skin. It sounded as if a balloon had been popped, the Hufflepuff girl did not even want to think of the fact that her stomach was still in a queasy knot from when she had apparated in to Saint Mungo’s with her father.

“Can you go get your Aunt please?” Eileen questioned, her voice was filled with sleepiness.

Her son nodded and helped his mother get back on the cot as it levitated down to meet his mother’s exhausted body. He draped a blanket over her and left the room to go meet with his aunt. Annette followed after him, as they made their way back toward the waiting room. Saint Mungo’s had become twice as crowded and Hope Lupin looked frazzled under all the pressure.

Standing in front of the receptionist desk was Calanthia O’Rinn (nee Prince), her long black hair was lose flowing with a few strands of silver marking it. Her crystal blue eyes were practically brimming over with tears of worry.

When she noticed her nephew, she embraced him tightly. Severus’s face turned bright red when his face was smooshed against his aunt’s bosom. Her wooly sheep sweater was a snow-white and smelled of hay, the jeans she wore were tattered and had holes in the knees. The boots she was wearing were scuffed and worn out. Calanthia released her nephew and looked at him with a sad smile.

“Your father didn’t hurt you too, did he Severus?”

The fifteen-year-old Slytherin shook his head and glanced at his cousins, who were sitting in two of the chairs that were meant for Witches and Wizards that needed emergency care. They both had their father’s natural reddish blonde hair and their mother’s crystal blue eyes and hooked nose. Margaret was swinging her legs back and forth, a stuffed animal sheep in her arms, her hair was pulled back in to twin braids and she was wearing a cobalt blue wool sweater and a pair of overalls. Her brother’s hair had been cut into somewhat of an army fashion, all stuck up with some type of hair gel, he was wearing his uniform from Durmstrang and reading a copy of a comic book called _The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle_.

Calanthia glanced over Severus’s shoulder to see Annette there, calmly waiting. But she could see in the young girl’s olive eyes that she was nervous and just a tiny bit shy.

“Severus is this your girlfriend?” His Aunt questioned.

The question stunned the young Potions Protégée for a moment before he was able to gather his ground and come up with an answer that would satisfy his aunt’s prying and curious ways. “She is my friend, this is Annette. Mum wants to see you.” He said quickly, Calanthia smiled softly in reply.

“It is nice too meet you, love. And of course, I’ll go see her right now. Keep an eye on Margaret please.” Calanthia followed a Medi-Witch to where her sister was waiting.

When the Slytherin turned to look at Annette, she was staring at with wide eyes, and her eyes were visibly shaking. She quickly put them inside the pouch of her hoodie, and was thankful when Severus’s eight-year-old cousin saved both of them from a tense and awkward conversation.

“I need to use the loo.” She whispered as she tugged on her cousin’s coat sleeve.

“I-I’ll take her.” Annette offered, taking the little girl’s hand, the other was clutching on to her stuffed animal sheep.

Severus mouthed a ‘thank you’ to her, as the Hufflepuff girl took the young Witch to the women’s lavatory.

The bathroom smelled freshly cleaned, the soap was shaped like the symbol of the hospital. A wand and bone crossed, and smelled like rosemary. It also had black and white tiles with snow-white walls that were decorated with framed moving pictures that said things, such as: _The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm-Florence Nightingale,_ and _Washing your hands kills germs!_

Annette let out an exhausted sigh, and turned the tab, until warm water flowed out of the faucet. She washed her face, hoping it would make some of her tiredness go away, but it didn’t. The Hufflepuff winced when the door to the stall squeaked open as Margaret went inside and locked it.

She started humming loudly and Annette was glad for the odd noise as it echoed. Severus had once again called her a friend, not his girlfriend, and once again her heart was aching. They had held hands, he had sent a letter to her, _not_ to Lily Evans, her. He had also said that he did not think of the redheaded Muggle-Born Witch, he had only thought of her. Why did boys and love have to be so confusing?

The potion to relieve her body of the pain it was in, had made her feel sluggish and forming thoughts was difficult, getting the words out of her brain and vocal was even more difficult. Calanthia was holding her sister’s hand, if she had known what a monster Tobias Snape was; she never would have encouraged Eileen to date him.

Their mother, unlike the famous Black and Malfoy families, was not as worried about being _Pure-Blood_ as some of the other “Ancient and Noble Houses”. All she wanted was her daughters to be happy, unfortunately Eileen was no longer happy, she was miserable and in agony.

“I-I can’t protect Severus from this anymore…I haven’t been able to for a long time. I would-I need you to take him with you…for a while.”

Calanthia nodded, and pressed a kiss to her sister’s cheek. “It won’t be a problem.”

The Hufflepuff girl was sitting beside Severus, trying not to swing her legs to and fro like a bored kindergartener; his cousins were busy trying to figure out a word search in an issue of _The Daily Prophet_. Her hands were casually in her lap, as she struggled to stop them from shaking, her cheeks turned pink when the Fifth-Year Slytherin boy gently took her hand in his own.

“I’m going to be going to stay with my Aunt.” He said quietly, his voice was thick with sleepiness.

“I know.” Annette replied, as his head slowly sunk on to her shoulder, and it was now tucked in the crook of her neck.

“I’ll write you…every day.” His eyes were closed, and the words were mumbled but the Hufflepuff did not mind in the least.

“Every day?” Annette smiled softly, “You don’t have too, Severus.”

“I want too.” He said, and she could tell from his steady breathing that he was starting to fall asleep. “I’m going to miss you, Annette.”

The Hufflepuff girl pressed a kiss to his temple, without realizing too late, that she could not take back the sign of affection. “I’ll miss you too…”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daisy Evans belongs to an author on fanfiction named Bluemoon22, I am simply borrowing her, with the author's permission, of course. As I said in Chapter twenty-three, chapter twenty-five will be posted on Saturday. Please leave a comment and a kudos!  
> -little sloth

It was a screech owl tapping on the window pane in her bedroom that she shared with Petunia that dragged Lily Evans away from studying for her Charms O.W.Ls She softly closed the book and tip-toed to the window as quietly as she could when the floorboards felt like ice underneath her bare feet. It was almost two o’clock in the morning, who could be sending her an Owl so early? The sky was still dark out, decorated with glittering stars, not a drop of dawn to be seen. The redhead shook her head and a smile spread across her lips, then again she was that was _studying_ before the crack of dawn. Sirius Black did have a point on the train on the way home and that maybe she and Remus would be better off in Ravenclaw, but the Sorting Hat had known that in different ways both Lily and Remus were braver then Sirius and James thought them to be. Petunia was two years older, and being at the age of seventeen, was not the least bit pleased by the fact that she still had share a room with her little sister, only if it was during the holidays. Her _freak_ of a sister. Petunia was a junior in college, preparing to go to university, and also fawning over a man named Vernon Dursley. He was growing in what could have been a scruffy beard, always wearing oversized sweaters to cover up his potbelly. He had large meaty hands, which was good for all Lily knows, since he works in his father’s butcher shop on the weekends.

The Fifth-Year Gryffindor Prefect opens up the window gingerly, trying not wince when it lets out a rather large squeak of protest, like nails on a chalk board. Along with the bitter morning cold and snow that flows in like the feathers from the owl, it has dark caramel feathers and large yellow eyes. In its clawed sharp, deadly talons are a letter addressed only to Lily and a package that was wrapped in gift paper that was decorated with little images of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which had been tied up neatly with silky white ribbon. She unknotted both from the owl, and gave it piece of a Christmas cutout cookie, she had been saving for herself. Lily set the presents on her nightstand, paid the owl what it was due. It hooted loudly enough to wake up Petunia, who tried to throw a pillow at the nocturnal carnivorous bird, but missed and the hit window seat instead. Her blonde hair was tousled and her pale eyes were now filled with anger. The older of the Evans sister’s tied herself in her pale pink dress robe and made her way to the bedroom, she hesitantly and quietly opened it, peering into the dark shadows that consumed the hall.

Petunia then quickly snapped the bedroom door closed and turned to look at her sister with pure disgust, her hands on her hips, just like their mother did when she was angry, and said in an angry whisper of a hiss. “You could have woken up Mum and Dad with that filthy bird! Or Grandmother could have come in here and fallen flat on her face from a heart attack!”

Lily shook her head in amusement. “It is just an owl, Tuney. Plus once Grandmother goes back to Paris, you can go back to having your own room. Just be glad you aren’t having to sleep on the floor like Daisy.” The second oldest sister said, indicating their youngest sister, who was fast asleep on the floor in a plaid sleeping bag, a Third Year at Hogwarts and a Hufflepuff, she shared Petunia’s natural blonde locks but had green eyes like Lily, and a near picture perfect image of their mother. Daisy was also the shortest, and had the same scrawny frame as their Muggle sister and mother. The two youngest siblings normally shared this bedroom together when they returned for the summer and other holidays. Petunia being the oldest, had her own room. But with their grandmother visiting, all three girls were squished in the same space, at least until Christmas vaction was over.

The Lioness sat down on her bed, after closing the window once the owl flew back out into the icy cold night air. She turned the lamp in order to open the present and letter which had been addressed to her. Her sister had returned to her the bed she was using, her dressing robe back on the knob of the bed. She had buried herself so far underneath the covers, you could barely see her blonde mop of snarled hair. But she could definitely hear her sister grumbling the words, “Freak of nature,” under her breath as Petunia struggled to get back to sleep.

Lily looked at the front of the envelope, her address and name was written in emerald green ink. The wax on the seal was also the same color of the ink, within the ink was an angora ram. The redhead Muggle-Born Witch carefully broke the seal with the letter opener that was inside her the drawer of her nightstand. She carefully unfolded the piece of parchment just in case the ink was still wet, she did not want to smudge the lettering anymore then it might already be. The letter was written in Severus’s slightly rushed handwriting, making the Lioness smile just a little.

_Lily,_

_I am sorry I have not written to you sooner, but things…life in general has become complicated. Difficult._

Fear began to eat away at Lily’s happiness after reading that first line, but she pushed herself to continue reading the letter and not think any further of the darker and more frightening thoughts that were beginning to enter her mind.

_I am staying with my Aunt Calanthina in Waterfoot. Mum and Dad have gotten into another argument, I know that isn’t anything new…but this time it did not end well. Mum had to be brought to Saint Mungo’s…again. She insisted that I stay with my Aunt until her and Dad have gotten back to normal. Not that that is going to happen any time in the near future. Mum is getting better, I would appreciate if you would please go and check on her, over the rest of the holiday. She needs someone to look after, talk to, since I cannot be there. I do not know what has happened with my dad._

_I will meet you at the platform in Kings Cross Station when we must return to Hogwarts. I hope you are well, and that you have a happy holiday with your family._

_Happy Christmas,_

_Severus_

The redhead teenage girl slowly set the down the letter, it nearly slipped out of her fingers and landed on the chilled floor beneath her feet. She hated that she could not just call Severus, hear his voice, and tell him that everything was going to be alright. But the Wizarding World did not use modern technology, and with him being all the way in Northern Ireland, it just seemed impossible. Lily slowly braided her long red hair back to keep it out of her face with a hair tie. She pulled her knees up to her chin, and rested her chin on her kneecaps. She did not feel like studying anymore, she just wanted to hug Severus, comfort him. He was her best friend after all, but she also could not deny that they were drifting apart, they had been ever since Lily had been sorted into Gryffindor and he was sorted into Slytherin. They had made different friends, found different interests. And it hurt Lily’s heart just a little that she was losing her best and dearest friend. But she was glad that had Remus as a friend, and a few other fellow Lions and Lionesses. Lily could feel her face and eyes scrunching up in anger when she remembered that Sirius had nearly outed Remus by almost giving away the details of Lupin’s condition. Just to try to make himself seem important and brave in front of Annette. Wasn’t being an _Animagus_ and running with an actual, real life, breathing and dangerous creature on the full moon enough for the Black family’s black sheep? She had been so terribly cross with the womanizer…

_Lily Evans had stormed back into the Gryffindor common room, she had said the password to enter her House with grated teeth, and had struggled not to just the slam the portrait behind her. The Fat Lady had even given the young Prefect a tut of her tongue and had right out told her to watch her temper. Lily’s heart was pounding so hard from rushing up to the seventh floor, that she scarcely had time to catch her breath. She was supposed to be heading over to a Prefect meeting with Remus, but right now this, giving Sirius Black a piece of her mind, seemed far more important. She dropped her overly heavy book bag beside an armchair, and glanced over her shoulder to see the Marauders walking through the tunnel that was behind the Fat Lady._

_James and Sirius were laughing over a joke that the Gryffindor Quidditch Seeker must have told in the hall. Remus and Peter were looking over a schedule for Potions. She could tell by the way that Remus’s nose crinkled in concern, making the scar wriggle up and become a tad misshapen on his face that he did not know that one of his best friends had nearly given away his secret._

“ _What did I do now that has your knickers in a bunch?” Sirius questioned in a bored tone, as he draped himself sideways across the armchair that the redhead had been planning on sitting in moments earlier. Their fellow Fifth-Year and Prefect, alongside Remus, was always miffed at him about some thing or another._

_Lily had to take several calming breaths before she was able to speak without sounding like a dragon that wanted to burn Sirius to crispy ashes. She could not be angrier with him, then she was right at this moment, how could Sirius Black be so thick headed?_

“ _You nearly told Annette that Remus was a werewolf!” The redheaded Muggle-Born Witch hissed with anger and unpleasantness, but only loud enough for the Black family sheep to hear. “What is wrong with you?”_

“ _Nothing, she just acts like she is better than everyone else.” He scoffed._

“ _No.” Lily shook her head, “She acts like a Hufflepuff. She is loyal to her friends and hardworking, sometimes I think she would be a better friend to Remus then you could ever be. All you like to do, Black, is the addiction of feeling as if you are brave.”_

_Lily grabbed her overly heavy book bag once again and made her way back toward the tunnel and the Fat Lady’s portrait. It had made her feel good to finally tell Sirius Black what she thought about him and his so-called bravery, but it also made her heart feel heavy with guilt of having said it. She would apologize to him later, after the Prefect meeting, during dinner._

_She turned and waited for Remus to follow her, which he did, somewhat reluctantly because Peter Pettigrew was begging for him to help him with his homework, Peter Pettigrew was always worried about his grades and what his parents would think of him, if he ended up failing. What kind of Wizard would he be if he could not even master the most simple of spells?_

“ _I’ll help you later, Peter.” Remus promised as he left the Gryffindor common room, and joined Lily in the hallway. “Why are you so angry with Sirius this time?”_

_The love of James Potter tried to shrug but her bag nearly slipped off her shoulder. “He was being a gigantic idiot, like usual.” She could not tell him the actual reason, it would hurt him to much that one of his dearest and best friends had almost betrayed him._

It was the midnight sky that yanked the middle Evans sister out of her thoughts and back into the soft sounds of her eldest sister and youngest sister fast asleep. The morning sun was bathing the night sky in the early colors of dawn. A long and exhaust-filled yawn escaped the young Gryffindor as she tucked her Charms book away, and buried herself under the covers, she clicked off the light with a heavy and lazy hand and fell asleep, her thoughts drifting into the worry that she had for Severus Snape.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again Daisy Evans belongs to fanfiction author Bluemoon22. Chapter twenty-six will be posted on Tuesday. Please leave a comment or a kudos. I need to know how you the readers like this story, and if I should continue to post chapters or not.   
> -little sloth

It was strange for Severus Snape to enter King’s Cross Station with his mother by his side, she had not been able to visit him in while he had been living with his Aunt over the holiday, but she did send him letters by owl, two days out of the week, on Mondays and Sundays. Eileen’s bruises and wrist had healed over the course of the holiday, his father had spent a few nights in Azkaban for his crime of spousal abuse, but even the horror of that dank and death fearing place had not brought him out of his alcoholism and need for cigarettes. Even if he did have nightmares of the screams of his fellow inmates, and the drifting and bone chilling effect of the Dementors. That left happiness to be nothing but a forgotten fog in one’s own mind.

Eileen and Tobias had hardly stopped yelling at one another, and Severus was nearly one hundred percent positive that his father had backhanded his mother across the face last night, because her lip had been split open and blood had been dripping down her chin, like a rain drop on a windowpane, when she had come in to check on him in the middle of the night.

He had decided that it would be best if he stayed the night before the day to return to Hogwarts, so his Aunt did not have to fret over him missing the train, while trying to get her own son, his cousin, Leopold off to Durmstrang.

Of course, he had feigned sleep, when his mother’s hands had brushed his fringe away from his forehead in a loving manner, tears and blood fell on his skin, like warm and sticky rain drops. He made sure not to wipe the salt water and crimson liquid off his forehead until he heard his mother gently shut his bedroom door behind her, when she returned to the hall, and he could hear the squeak and groan of the steps as she made her way back down stairs.

They left in morning on foot, to King’s Cross station, taking Muggle buses to get there, after his father had left for work, with their neighbor in his truck.

With his trunk on a trolley he made his way through the crowded train station, which was as always packed with non-magical and magical people alike. His mother trailed behind, a handkerchief pressed against her bleeding lip, the navy blue cloth with silver doves sown in silver, getting darker and stained with the crimson liquid.

Neither of them spoke, they both knew that Tobias was never going to change his monstrous ways.

Wearing a baggy and slightly unraveled navy blue sweater and jeans that needed to be held up by a belt, the Fifth Year Slytherin turned to face his mother, just as they stopped at Platform Nine and Three Quarters. She was wearing an old coat over a floral long sleeved dress, she had a job interview to go to at the Ministry for a secretary job in the Animagus Registry department, while her sister worked in the Department of Runes and Symbols.

Severus thought that his mother getting a job was a good idea, she could escape the clutches of his father for at least a couple of hours, even if it what just sending out letters via owl, and scheduling classes for inspiring _Animagus_ Witches and Wizards, who were struggling with the process. But what he could not comprehend is why his mother would take a job in the Wizarding World when she lived in the Muggle one? Was she clinging to her old life as much as she could, so she would not have to think about what waited for her at the end of the day when she had to return to Spinner’s End?

“Mum, why are going to work at the Ministry with Aunt Calanthia?” The barrier between the platforms that led to the one where the Hogwarts Express waited for the students that needed to board was straight ahead of them, almost as if it was telling them that their conversation was about to come to an end.

“So, you have something to live off of, once you graduate. I am going to open a vault under your name at Gringotts.”

“Mum, you don’t have too…” Severus started to say, but his mother stopped him, by embracing him gently, and kissing the top of his head.

“I want too. You have a choice, you can still be who you want to be. I can’t.” Eileen replied with a sad smile, “Now go on, before you miss the train.”

The Fifth-Year Slytherin made his way through the barrier, and lugged his heavy trunk on to the train with him. He would change into his school robes, once they were closer to Hogwarts. As he continued to lug his trunk behind him. Finding an empty or close to empty compartment was going to be difficult, with most of the upper classmen students, plus others in their younger years returning from the holiday break. The train was filled with laughter and the noisy hum of conversations about the holiday and the upcoming return to Hogwarts, classes and homework.

He was just about to make his way into a seemingly empty compartment when he saw a flash of long red hair coming toward him in Gryffindor robes.

“Sev!”

The way Lily Evans said his name was one that was filled with relief and a somewhat damped amount of excitement, she embraced for a long moment, her chin resting against his shoulder.

She pulled back, embarrassment flooding both of their cheeks red. “I-I’m glad you’re alright.”

Severus cleared his throat a tad, trying to get the redness to go away. It felt like his face was too close to a blazing hearth. “Um…how was your holiday?”

“Good, I’ll talk to you later, okay? Prefect meeting…” she disappeared back into the massive crowd of students, making her way toward an exhausted Remus Lupin.

Severus Snape pushed his way through the crowd and toward what he thought was an empty compartment, but sitting in the corner with her face buried in _Tails_ written by Edith Nesbit, was Annette Negrescu. There were two other trunks pushed into the luggage bin above her, one was bit torn and abused, worn out leather with the initials J.B. The other was a dark onyx black with silver clasps and the initials embossed in silver, P.L. Annette’s trunk was dark leather and dark wood, embossed over the old first initial Q, was a slightly faded A, the last name letter was almost all the way faded off, the N barely visible.

She was using it as a footrest, when she caught Severus looking at her from the open compartment doorway, she slid her bookmark into the chapter that she was on. She was wearing a soft butter yellow hoodie with a black scarf and jeans with snow boots that nearly went up to her knees. Her copper brown hair was plaited into a braid and was held with a black and yellow ribbon.

Her olive colored eyes seemed to light up as Severus completely entered the compartment, and she got up from where she was sitting, her book tumbling to the floor as she almost tripped over her trunk and practically fell into his arms. He could not tell if she was laughing or crying into his chest as he helped her to be steady on her own two feet, before he pulled her away from him, long enough for her fingers to somehow find his and hold on, her thin fingers gripping on to his.

“Are you alright?” He questioned, he could not help but smile softly.

He had indeed missed her, and he kept his word about writing her, even though it ended up being every four days rather than every day. He had kept in touch with her more than he had with Lily.

Annette gently tucked a loose strand of Severus’s hair, her fingers brushed against his cheek for a second.

“Yeah…I’m fine, I just missed you…if that’s okay?” the Hufflepuff replied softly.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her, and he could not help smiling. “It’s fine. I missed you too.”

“Do you mind if I stay here with you?”

The Badger grinned at the Snake, “I would love if you would. Jen and Pan are in the Prefect meeting, and I never know how long those meetings are going to take.”

Severus settled himself down beside her, he copied her way of using her trunk as a footrest, and he bent down and put _Tails_ back into Annette’s lap. The Hufflepuff Fifth-Year smiled a little.

“So how was Ireland?”

Severus wanted to shrug it off, but he could not help but indulge Annette’s question. “Were the letters not enough? It was rainy with a lot of sheep.”

“I would love to use a sheep as a pillow.” Annette said in an almost dreamy manner.

“A pillow? You could sheer it and stuff the wool in a pillowcase.” Severus countered.

Annette looked at him wide-eyed in shock. “Sheer it! I could never do that, the poor thing would be running around…well very naked. What if it got cold?”

Severus chuckled silently, earning a slight glare from the Hufflepuff. “You were making me picture naked sheep.”

Annette stuck her tongue out playfully at the Slytherin, and then she rested her head on his shoulder. “You owe me.”

Severus raised an eyebrow, “I do?”

“Yes, you used me as a pillow in Saint Mungo’s.”

“Right, I did, I apologize.” Severus said quietly, “Which means I also owe you one of these.”

He placed a kiss gently against the locks of her copper brown hair.

It was the flash of a camera blub that startled Annette and Severus out of their comfort zone. And in to a place neither of them wished to be in, they were friends and nothing more, and yet somehow even though Severus was deeply, head-over-heels in love with Lily Evans, he found himself twisting into a boyfriend for Annette, something his mind did not seem to mind him doing, but it also felt like a betrayal toward Lily. He was happy when he was around Annette, the way he used to be around Lily, when they were younger and had not been separated by the Sorting Hat’s choice of their Houses. But he and Annette, they were just friends, weren’t they?

Pandora stood in the open doorway of the compartment, a grin on her face spreading from ear to ear, a camera in her long and delicate fingers, purple smoke curling out from a hole in the device. Jenna was beside her smiling and squealing like little girls bouncing around a bunch of hyper Crup puppies.

“You two truly make an adorable couple.” The female Ravenclaw Prefect announced. “I will give you a copy of the picture, once I am able to owl out the film to be processed.”

“Thanks, Pannie.” Annette muttered hiding her face in her hands, trying to cover up her embarrassment with her hands. She then peeked at Severus from between the cracks in her fingers. “I am so sorry…”

Severus’s smile edged across his face, nearly but not quiet completely forced. “It’s alright.”

He saw Lily waving at him as she passed the still opened compartment door, she stopped and back tracked, leaving Remus to find the rest of the Marauders on his own. She sat down beside Severus, leaving her luggage to be watched by Alice at least for a little while longer. Now the Snake was a tad bit trapped in the middle by a Badger and a Lioness.

“Hello Annette, how was your holiday?” Lily said politely and with a speck of nervousness.

“Hectic to say the least, but fun. Yours?” Annette found herself to be less jealous of the Lioness, and now leaning more towards a possible friendship with her.

Lily rolled her eyes as her mind played the dreaded holiday she had to spend with a pouty and jealous Petunia. “It was alright. I’m a Muggle-Born, so the being a Witch is kept secret.”

“I think your sister, Daisy is in our house.”

“Yeah, she is.” Lily peered out of the now closed compartment door, seeing Alice waving at her frantically.

James and his crew thought it would be amusing to let out a whole trunk full of chocolate frogs loose on the Hogwarts Express.

“Damn it, James Potter you are such a git!” Lily yelled storming out of the compartment, trying to dodge the chocolate frogs as she made his way toward him.

Severus let out an exhausted sigh, “I better go help her.” He trailed after Lily, ducking out of the way of a chocolate frog as it splattered against the compartment window. The two Badgers and the Eagle could only wince and groan in sympathy.

“I’m very proud of you, darling.” Pandora said, whisking the compartment door shut, so none of the chocolate frogs would actually get in to where they were seated.

“Why are you proud of me?” Annette mused aloud, opening up _Tails_ to the page she had been reading.

“For not clawing out, Lily Evans eyes.” Pandora continued, taking her seat across from Annette, and sitting down beside Jenna.

“I wasn’t going to do it with Severus so close.” Annette replied.

The train lurched to a halt at the station, the students disembarked and braced themselves against the January chill as they made their way toward the chariots and back to the warmth of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been neglective with updating lately, but I have my reasons. Depression and illness are the only two reasons I can give, and it makes me feel like an awful person. I will be posting both chapters 26 and 27 tonight, and chapter 28 will be posted on Tuesday. Please leave a comment! :)  
> -little sloth

The carriage wheels squeaked and groaned under the added pressure as the Witches and Wizards of Hogwarts clambered hastily inside to get out of the icy breath of winter and into the warmth of the carriages. Annette squished in between Jenna and Pandora, two third year students that were in Ravenclaw with Pandora, joined them, and then Alice, who was in the same as House as Lily Evans joined them as well. The carriage lurched forward once it was full and made its way toward the black iron wrought gates.

“Thestrals are such unappreciated creatures.” Pandora said in a huff of sadness as she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, her elbow resting against the window pain that was misted over with frost.

“They’re an omen of death!” Alice squeaked, “We learned about that in Divination.”

Annette let out a sigh of annoyance, “They’re actually quiet docile. You don’t have Care of Magical Creatures on your timetable do you?” the Badger asked the Lioness, she was getting so tired of ignorant people that acted like sheep, weren’t Gryffindor’s supposed to be brave?

Alice shook her head, “No, I have Divination and Study of Ancient Runes.”

Annette glanced over at Jenna and Pandora. Jenna had busied herself with sketching out a phoenix on a scrap of spare parchment, using her agenda notebook as a hard surface, so the sketch would not get obscured by the bumps and jostling of the road. Pandora was still gazing out of the window at the scaly bat-winged bony creatures that were pulling the carriage they were all in.

“You can see them too, can’t you darling?” Pandora asked in a whisper.

Annette nodded, the other two Ravenclaws in their carriage were looking at the pair of Fifth-Years as if they had three heads like the alpha Hellhound, Cerberus.

Annette had experienced and accepted death when she saw a young unicorn dying in Professor Kettleburn’s arms during Care of Magical Creatures last year when their professor had decided that needed a guided tour of the Forbidden Forest in order to experience wildlife.

That night had been a full moon, and when Jenna and Annette returned to Hufflepuff House, they spent the night curled up by the fire in the Common Room still in shock over what they had seen.

The Unicorn foul had had a huge chunk of its throat torn out, silver blood leaking out from the wound and on to the ground, glowing hauntingly beautiful under the light of the moon.

Annette had somehow found a way to accept the death, but Jenna had a more difficult time getting over it, maybe that was why the Thestrals were still invisible to her and Alice and any others who thought that the carriages were automated.

“Would you like to help me go check on the herd tomorrow for Professor Kettleburn?” Pandora questioned.

Annette nodded and smiled softly, she would be more than happy to help Pandora, Monday morning she had an essay due for History of Magic on the Witch Trials in Salem, she was glad that she had finished it over break, with the mountain of assignments they had over the holiday, she was glad that she had an agenda with her assignments written in it, or otherwise she would have completely forgotten, they were returning to Hogwarts on a Saturday, so that the students that had “forgotten” about their assignments could have time to finish them before classes resumed again.

The carriages slowly trotted to a wobbly halt with a massive squeak from the wheels as the iron wrought gates slowly swung shut behind them. Everyone got out of the carriages, using _Wingardium Leviosa_ in order to get their trunks from off of the top of the carriages. Annette smiled at Pandora when she noticed the dark haired Ravenclaw sneaking a couple of sugar cubes out of her one of the pockets of her robes and to the mouths of some very happy Threstles.

All of the students made their way inside the school and toward their Houses, their trunks were heavy and not easy to lug inside the common rooms, Pandora stood outside the entrance to Hufflepuff.

Annette raised an eyebrow at the Ravenclaw Prefect, “Do you want to come in?”

Pandora sighed, “I’m stalling. I do not want to have to listen to Gilderoy Lockhart whine about how the school needs a newspaper.”

“What’s wrong with a newspaper?” Jenna piped up, her wand in her hand as she tapped out ‘Helga Hufflepuff’ on the barrels in order to get the younger students inside first, so none of the elder students would have to deal with the gag inducing smell of vinegar. “I think it might be a good idea.”

“Yeah, a newspaper club wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.” Annette agreed.

“Maybe if we started a petition and got enough signatures, we might be able to pull it off.” Pandora said, finally warming up to the idea because the little pest of a Second Year Ravenclaw was not the one pleading to have the newspaper club was established, her eyes were bright with ideas.

“We could make flyers…but perhaps we should only have third years and higher doing the newspaper?” Annette pondered aloud as she continued to drag her trunk into the room that she shared with Jenna, Ennis, a Sixth-Year named Jacqueline, and two Third-Years named Lynn and Belinda.

Lynn had café au lait blonde hair with hazel eyes that flowed past her chest and went down a little bit past her waist, while Lynn’s best friend, Belinda, had fair amber blonde that was curled in loose soft curls that tickled her chin and her throat in a slightly angled bob, her diamond blue eyes, where the feature that caught most people first.

Jacqueline was sitting in the window seat, writing a letter to someone. Her amber eyes were squinted, deeply focused on the paragraph that she was writing with a peacock-feathered quill. Her expresso colored hair was twisted back from her face in an elegant French braid.

She put her quill down and pushed her glasses back up the rim of her nose. “This came for you.” She said, handing the Hufflepuff Prefect a piece of parchment that had been folded into a paper airplane.

Whatever Charms had been cast on the airplane to get to its destination had worn off. Jenna unfolded it, Pandora had left with the silence of a cat stalking its quarry to the Ravenclaw House in the tower.

Jenna and Annette looked at the letter. It was written in Professor Kettleburn’s neat handwriting:

_Dear young Witches and Wizards,_

_Due to the incident with the Fwoopers, we will now be having a combined course with Professor Sprout, this means that this class will be held twice a week, sometimes twice in one day. The classes will be held with the following Houses. Hufflepuff and Slytherin, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw._

_The animal that will be discussed and taken care of during this combined course for the rest of this year will be Bowtruckles. Please study ahead of time, just because this is a combined course does not meaning slacking off will not be tolerated._

_Professor Sprout will continue to teach about Chinese Chomping Cabbages. I know that this means that it will be double the workload but think of it as preparing for your upcoming Sixth Year._

_With Regards to Your Ongoing Success,_

_Professor_ _Silvanus Kettleburn_

“Bowtruckles! We’re going to lose our eyes…their going to pull them out with their sharp nasty fingers!” Jenna exclaimed, fear clear in her eyes.

Annette sighed, “Professor Sprout will be there to make sure there won’t be any death-inducing injuries, they probably made a combined course, so Professor Kettleburn won’t get put on probation again.” She said trying to assure her best friend, who was fiddling with her Prefect badge.

“Right. But my mum would not think I look wicked with an eye patch.” Jenna muttered, she left her trunk beside the foot of her bed, just as another airplane came fluttering in behind several First Years that were busily chatting about Christmas holiday.

Jenna grabbed it, and seeing the name scribbled on the wing, handed it to Annette.

_Meet me in the library, if you are not too busy._

_-S. Snape_

Annette could not help the slightly puzzled smile that broke past her lips, she shoved the airplane that was still pulsating with a Location spell in the pocket of her robes. She grabbed her messenger bag and left her fellow Hufflepuffs to unpack their trunks.

She made to the entrance doors of the library in record timing, with her knees bent, she rested her hands on the caps, heaving for air. Running there had been a stupid idea, plus it was also still winter and freezing, she was glad she had remembered her gloves, beanie, and scarf. With everyone returning from their winter holiday, it meant that castle was expected to be a tad chilly and drafty. Her messenger bag nearly started to choke her as it slid off of her shoulder and toward her neck. Straightening herself to an upright position, she repositioned her messenger bag and put her gloves, scarf, and beanie into the right side pocket, folded up as neatly as possible.

She entered the library as quietly as possible, the sounds of muttered curses of annoyance, the scratching of wet quill ink against parchment, and the heavy sound of a stack of books hitting the tables greeted her. The library was practically filled with the brim with students trying to finish up their assignments before classes resumed.

Annette recognized several of the students, including Peter Pettigrew and Jacqueline’s younger sister, Pamela, who was in Gryffindor. She seemed to be struggling to help Peter, whose face was creased with anxiousness. They were trying to figure out the report on why Charming a tea cup to have legs was actually useful.

The Hufflepuff was relieved that she had finished that essay with some help from her brother, Quinn, who gave her an in-person demonstration of the usefulness of the Charm.

She glanced around for Severus, noticing him in the corner of the Creatures of the Wizarding World section, one of Annette’s favorite spots. But she found it odd that Severus would be there. She sat down beside him, her messenger bag now leaning between them.

Annette rested her head on top of her knees and gently placed her hand on top of Severus’s. His hand went still, it had been busy scribbling down notes in an empty journal that was wrapped around a quill moments earlier, the book resting on his thighs. The book was open to a grotesque illustration of a person transforming into a werewolf.

“I got your paper airplane…” Annette said softly.

Severus let the quill rest on the drying paper in the journal, and let his gaze rest on Annette’s face, rather than where her fingers still rested on the top of his hand. Her olive green eyes were dusted with weariness but a shimmer of excitement sparked beneath. He was guessing the thought of seeking out Bowtruckles in the Forbidden Forest was what had dragged her mind away from the boredom of unpacking her trunk and kept the soft lulls of sleep’s whispers away.

“I was wondering, if you wanted to be my partner in the combined course?”

Annette took a moment to register the fact that Severus was asking for her help, when it came to partnered projects she would normally stick with her fiery-redheaded best friend, but what would little change do, except for offering a tiny sliver of a challenge?

“I would love too.” She replied, and then her eyes caught the gory transformation diagram of the Werewolf, the book still resting open on Severus’s thighs.

“We’re working on Conflict Avoidance and Theory, why are you looking up Werewolves?” Annette questioned

She then noticed the large hand-made calendar that Severus had tucked in the back of the journal, in the places where the full moon appeared in the corner were the initials in bright red ink, R.L.

Annette looked back up at Severus, she could feel a cold chill going down her spine and it was not only from the harsh drafty nature of the school. “He can’t be…”

“I think he is, it all lines up.”

“Severus, he can’t be werewolves aren’t born, they are made by being bitten…”

“Everything fits Annette…Remus Lupin is…he has to be!”

Annette felt her fingers gripping on to Severus’s, until he held her hand in his own.

“Please, Severus, don’t do anything foolish.”

 


	27. Chapter 27

Severus should have never listened to Sirius Black.

After the years of torment and teasing, why did he allow his sense of curiosity to get the better of him?

Of course, he had to see if he was right about Remus Lupin. His curiosity and the fear for Lily and Annette’s safety ate at him like termites after a decrepit building.

Because he knew that there was some awful secret, a very dangerous secret that was being kept by the Marauders about Remus Lupin, and now he knew what the secret was, he knew what Remus Lupin became every month on the night of the full moon.

He just hoped that he would be able to survive long enough to tell Annette and Lily, just so they would be safe.

If he had enough strength left he would have screamed for help at the top of lungs, but right now in the rickety old shack, his life was in the claws and fangs of a Werewolf.

Remus was a bloodcurdling and meat-craving monster, and in his jaws by the hood of his cloak was Severus Snape, getting swung around like a ragdoll, first he was thrust into one wall of the shack on the opposite end near the window, and he could feel bruises forming against his ribcage, felt the sickening crack as his arm was broken and felt another bone break, it was either his foot or his ankle, he could not be certain, not with his head feeling as if it had been cracked open like an egg with his own blood dripping crimson in front his eyes.

Would he survive this?

Severus Snape raised his wand and with the last breath that he could get to escape against his broken ribcage, with blood dripping past his lips, “ _Langlock!”_

Severus’s nearly unconscious form fell to what was left of the shack’s floor like a heavy sack of flour. He watched as Remus’s monster form struggled with the shock that its tongue was now glued to the roof of its mouth.

He felt someone hauling him up by the armpits and dragging him back toward the tunnel he had crawled through on his hands and knees after prodding the nob with a very long and brittle branch, which was on one of the Whomping Willow’s roots to open the passageway.

He thought for sure he was hallucinating by now, he could not be certain if he saw a black shaggy dog distracting the Werewolf that had been trying to kill him only moments earlier, or if he was just slowly dying in the worst type of manner. He felt something small and furry wiggle its way out from underneath the hand knit sweater he had put on underneath his school robes in order to keep away the winter’s bitter chill. He could feel tiny and thin whiskers brushing against his neck, and tiny claws with tiny paws, making it feel like bobby pins were poking him, as whatever the rodent was ran ahead of them in order to reopen the passageway.

Severus had been heading back from helping Annette craft a Potion for Dreamless Sleep. At first he thought it very unusual for her to ask him for such a favor, they brewed it in the Advanced Potions creation labs, while Professor Slughorn was in the main classroom grading bottles of potions for his Second Years.

She had approached him in the Great Hall during their final meal of the evening, she looked worn to the bone, exhausted to the point of falling over. She plopped down beside him on the bench, she was twisting her black and yellow striped tie as if it would somehow be able to give her the courage to talk to him, and it was not as if she had ever needed it before.

That’s when he recognized the emotion that was buried behind the exhaustion in her olive colored eyes. It was fear.

“I’m afraid to fall asleep now…I know you’ve had your _research_ for two weeks now Severus…but tonight’s…tonight is the full moon.” Annette said in a whisper as they made their way down to the dungeons, abandoning their meals. “If something happens to you…I don’t know what I would do…you see I,” she then shook her head firmly and then gripped his hands in her own. “Please…Severus…please promise me that you won’t do anything reckless.”

But he didn’t, he couldn’t make her such a promise.

Instead he made sure that Annette made it back to Hufflepuff House before he made his way out into the courtyard that was when he spotted Remus stumbling out in the snow covered grounds toward the Whomping Willow.

The Fifth-Year Gryffindor Prefect looked sickly and pale, he looked as if he was about to be ill right where he now stood hunched over by the Willow. Severus found it very odd that the Whomping Willow did not seem to be attacking Remus, it was almost as if it was protecting him.

Severus shook his head, tried to clear the curiosity out of his mind that perhaps his well thought out and thoroughly plotted discovery could actually be correct. He had almost made it back to the Great Hall to gather his books and satchel when he was stopped by Sirius Black and nearly tripping over the Pureblooded Wizard’s foot.

“Ya know, if you take a really long stick and prod the knob near the Whomping Willow, you’ll be able to see where Moo-Remus goes every month.”

And here he was lying limp in the freezing snow staring at the night sky above, while the frozen white water began to soak through his uniform. The world seemed to be going in and out of focus, but he did not care. Right now, all he cared about was the fact that James-fucking-Potter had saved him. Had saved his bloody life.

James was kneeling in the snow beside him gasping for air his own robes slashed and torn, but there was not any sign of a bite or a scratch. He also heard another set of footprints running off back toward the School. “I’ll go get…someone!” it was the squeaky voice of Peter Pettigrew.

“Annette! Annette!” someone was calling the Fifth-Year Hufflepuff’s name, pulling her out of a blissful sleep, finally a dreamless one.

Groaning out of annoyance, Annette forced her eyes to open and found two Prefect badges shining against the light from wand tips. The _Lumos_ Charm.

“Someone get rid of the lights, other people are trying to get their beauty sleep!” Belinda whined and then a muffled, “Ow. What the hell, Jacqueline?!”

“How is anyone supposed to sleep with your whiny voice, Ms. Tinkerbell? Give me back my pillow.” The Sixth-Year retorted.

“No.” Belinda huffed, “Maybe I’ll just keep it!”

Annette yawned loudly as the lanterns that were in the room began to brighten and the Hufflepuff could finally identify the two people that were holding the wands.

It was Jenna and Gandalf Amsel, the Fifth-Year Prefects of Hufflepuff House. Gandalf Amsel was nearly six feet tall and had dark chocolate curly hair with ocean-blue eyes, instead of tie, he was wearing a bowtie in Hufflepuff. Jenna’s face was creased with worry, Belinda and Jacqueline were still arguing over the pillow.

Annette let out a sigh and unburied herself from the warmth of the covers on her four-poster bed. Her feet hit the icy floor and tried to suppress a shiver. She was wearing a set of sky-blue pajamas that was decorated with sunflowers. She followed her best friend and Gandalf into the Common Room where a fire was burning hot in the fireplace.

“Why have you woken me up at such an ungodly hour?” she demanded through another yawn.

“Nettie, Severus is in the Hospital Wing, there was an accident.” Jenna said softly.

Annette stared at her wide-eyed tears brimming at the edge, and slowly starting to slip past her cheeks. “I-Is he still…a-alive?”

Gandalf opened his mouth to reassure her that the Slytherin was indeed still breathing, but before he could Annette was running past them and out of the Hufflepuff Common room and into the deadly dark hallways.

She reached inside her enchanted pajama pocket by where her heart would be and pulled out her wand. She quickly lit her way to the Hospital Wing as she ran down the hallway. She ignored the disgruntled shouting from portraits as she ran past them and into the Wing. She nearly bumped into her Head of House, Professor Pomona Sprout.

Pomona Sprout wrapped her arms around Annette as her young charge began sobbing uncontrollably either from relief, fear, or a mixture of both as she saw Severus lying in the hospital bed unconscious.

Sitting on another bed together were James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. The mousy Gryffindor was nervously biting his nails down to the quick and shaking. The other adults in the room consisted of Professor Minerva McGonagall, teacher of Transfiguration and Head of Gryffindor House. She was wearing a nightdress and she still had blue hair curlers in her hair. She did not pleased at all, in fact she looked very annoyed and angry. Beside her was Professor Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House. He still seemed barely awake and had a mug of strong coffee in his large hands thanks to Madam Pomfrey.

The Matron was currently attending to Severus, murmuring healing spells as her wand moved in gentle movements. Professor McGonagall only became more cross when Sirius Black came running into the Hospital Wing looking rather winded and somewhat ragged.

“How nice of you to join us, Mister Black.” She said with a coating of lividness.

Annette had been released by her Head of House and was now sitting beside Severus, gently taking Severus hand in her own.

Madam Pomfrey smiled softly at the young Witch, “He will be just fine, my dear. I will make sure of it myself. Let me go fetch you a cup of tea, while we wait for the Headmaster.”

Annette could only whisper a soft thank you. She could not let her gaze fall on James, Sirius, or Peter. She feared that if she did, she would beat them all too bloody pulps or curse them with such ferocity that she would get expelled from Hogwarts.

She could hear Headmaster Dumbledore’s robes squishing like silk curtains being pulled away as he entered the Hospital Wing. His robes were a rich purple with silver stars decorating it, all of them in the shapes of constellations. When he spoke it was of such upmost seriousness that it was frightening to the Fifth-Year students before him.

“I hope all three of you realize just how dire this situation you find yourselves in, actually is. The consequences shall fit your actions. All of your parents shall be informed of what has occurred tonight, but Remus Lupin will not be mentioned for his own wellbeing. Sirius, James, and Peter shall have to accompany Professor Slughorn in gathering ingredients for Potions and cleaning the cauldrons, they will also be serving detention for the month under the watchful eye of Professor McGonagall. Black and Potter will not be allowed to play in the upcoming Quidditch Match against Slytherin. I shall leave young Snape’s punishment up to his Head of House.”

“He’s a Werewolf isn’t he?” Annette questioned the Headmaster, “Remus Lupin, I mean.”

“Yes, my dear. But I hope you shall keep secret what you have learned tonight.” Dumbledore answered.

“I will, Headmaster.” The young Hufflepuff promised, her olive eyes falling back to Severus’ unconscious form, tears were still slowly streaming down the tip of her nose.

It was a full week before Severus was able to return to classes. Annette had been keeping him up to date on every single one of his classes, except for Study of Ancient Runes, she had Muggle Studies instead. She had also been running back and forth to deliver all written assignments he had done to their Professors.

It was Lily who kept him up to date on Ancient Runes, and it seemed odd to him but he was finally noticing just how more important Annette was becoming to him, instead of Lily Evans.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 29 will be posted on Sunday, please leave a comment or a kudos. I am sorry, I forgot to post this chapter yesterday, but it's better late than never!  
> -little sloth

Annette wrapped her cloak tighter about herself as she made her way up to where the mail-carrying owls roosted. Soft calls of who resounded in the building as Annette made her way over to the Fifth-Year mailbox. It looked like something that would be in the lobby of an apartment building, the reason that owls did not deliver the mail during breakfast anymore since winter holiday, is because Madame Pomfrey had declared that the owls would no longer be able to deliver mail during mealtimes for sanitary reasons.

Annette scanned the cold metal boxes for her name. Negrescu, Annette. It even had the badger on the door of the box. She dug around for her key, she needed to use for opening it, and once she had finally found it in her satchel pocket, and she slid it into the lock, and heard a click of satisfaction as the door swung open. She had four letters waiting for her, one was from her brother Quinn, the second one was from her parents, and the third from her Head of House, Pomona Sprout, and the last one was from Saint Francis’s Sanctuary for Neglected and Mistreated Magical Creatures. She had been waiting for this letter, it was her opportunity to for an internship with actual Wizarding Naturalists. It would help her to get into a career that she would love.

It felt odd that at fifteen she almost had everything planned for herself, except for her love life, that was all a big jumble. It was letter the from the Witches and Wizards that worked at Saint Francis’ Sanctuary that made her the most nervous, getting into that internship program would really help her to fulfill one of her dreams, which was become a Wizarding Naturalist. With the letters in her satchel, she made way back down the steps of the Owlery. Only to find Severus waiting for her. His hair was wind whipped, his dark green and silver scarf was blowing in the chilled air as well. When she was on the last step, she found herself taking Severus’ gloved hand. He glanced at the Forbidden Forest with a mixture of fear of the unknown to come and curiosity.

He looked over at as they both sat down on the slightly snow covered steps that lead inside to the staircase that would lead them to their desired breakfast.” I sent in an application to work at Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. Would you like to see if they accepted me after our combined course today?”

Annette looked over at him with slight confusion on her face, “Why don’t you ask Lily?”

Severus was not sure how to answer this, since Lily had started attending Hogwarts, their relationship as best friends had become strained over the years, and so had their interests. Lily was going to be asking Professor McGonagall if there was any possible way she could shadow an Aurora over the summer, because that was Lily’s dream job, it was also a very difficult and a life threatening one. “She is far too busy with her own matters.” Severus shrugged, trying not to show Annette that he was starting to become infatuated with her, like she already was with him.

“Oh, I will be happy to join you.” Annette agreed with a smile, as they stood, satchels hanging across them like postmen, as they continued to make their way inside.

They were still holding hands, but Severus did not mind it, as they made their way back inside Hogwarts, just as the halls were beginning to fill with students that were heading for their destination as well, breakfast in the Great Hall. Severus let go of Annette’s hand and went to the Slytherin table, he sat down beside Regulus Black and Dirk Cresswell. Seated across from him, a piece of bacon in one hand and a copy of _Brewing Liquid Magic_ was Second Year, Barty Crouch Junior. If anyone could take over the Potions Master  position besides Severus, once Slughorn finally retired, it would be Barty. For a Second Year he knew as much about the Dark Arts and Potions making as Severus did when he became aware of his magical bloodline. 

Severus poured a glass of pumpkin juice for himself and set four waffles on his plate, along with a couple slices of bacon. He then dug out his Potions notebook, so he could study before his first class of the morning started.

Annette was too afraid to open her letter, and instead saw Jenna looking at her timetable, she was looking at the section that Professor Sprout had blacked out for their meeting on what classes Jenna needed to take in order for her to get a job as an Obliviator for the Ministry of Magic, they would have to discuss which classes and exams Jenna should focus on, and what tests she should study the most, in order to take the right N.E.W.T level course for her to get the job, she had been wanting to get ever since they had to decide during their Third Year.

The Fifth-Year Hufflepuff with copper curls looked down at her own timetable, her meeting with their Head of House was after Potions class and before her Muggle Studies class. Professor Sprout was going to help her decide which classes she was going to take in order for her to become a Wizarding Naturalist. She wasn’t really looking forward to History of Magic, Professor Bins was going to be droning on and on about the Giant Wars. She wandered if Muggle History was just as boring as Magical, Annette guessed she could ask her cousin, Willow. But the Squib would probably only think that she was teasing her, not that the question was just out of curiosity.

Annette somehow battled her way through armies of her peers to make her way toward Professor Sprout’s office. As usual Potions class had ran overtime with Professor Slughorn explaining about how their next lab would be creating the Strengthening Draught, Slughorn had gone over every single ingredient, the way they were to put into the cauldron, they even practiced the stirring that would be needed to create the Strengthening Draught.

Annette made her way outside and onto the grounds, she shuffled through snow that went up to ankles before she reached Professor Sprout office. It was more like a little stone cottage rather than the offices that were inside the castle. This way Pomona could easily get to her precious Greenhouses. Annette tried her best to straighten herself and brush most of the snow off of her boots, robes, and cloak. She banged on the knocker, which was on the wooden door shaped as a bowtruckle.

“Come in!” the cheerful voice of Professor Sprout replied to her student’s gentle knock.

As the short but somewhat ballerina-built Hufflepuff entered, a mug of peppermint tea floated toward her as she sat down the opposite of her Head of House. So they were facing each other. Annette sipped at her tea, gracious for the warm liquid and room.

“Annette Negrescu. Negrescu… I guess you will not be following the paths that your father and brother took, nor that of your mother.”

“Of course not, Ma’am they were all in Ravenclaw.” Annette replied.

Professor Sprout smiled softly, she could tell how nervous the Fifth-Year Badger was. “No, my dear, I meant their careers. Your brother now works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement same as your father, and your mother works as a Medi-Witch at Saint Mungo’s. Now remind me my dear, what your career goal is. We haven’t discussed it since your Third Year.”

Annette cleared her throat a little before she replied, she had to remind herself not to respond with saying, ‘When I grow up I want to be…’, like she had during her Third Year.

“I want with the entirety of my heart to become a Magizoologist.” She said, she could not help the smile that spread across her face.

Professor Sprout could feel herself copying her student’s joy, “Then my dear the O.W.L.s you will want to focus on are Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts. If you really want too, focusing on your Muggle Studies O.W.L would not be such a bad idea either.”

Annette stood up from slightly groaning chair, and readjusted her satchel, she would have to hurry to get to her Muggle Studies class on time now. She was just glad that the classroom was on the first floor of the castle. She was just about to open the door when Professor Sprout stopped her with the question, she was hoping her Head of House would forget to ask.

“Did you receive your letter from Saint Francis’ about the intership yet?”

Annette looked over her shoulder at Pomona Sprout, “Yes, Ma’am. I will let you know when I get enough courage to open it.”

After an interesting lecture on the videogame known as Pong in Muggle Studies, Annette found herself sitting under a tree that was close to the bank of the Black Lake, where the Giant Squid that resided in it was currently happily waving his tentacles above the surface. This was her first break before Transfiguration class. Before she sat down beneath the tree, she had to use the _Incendio_ charm to melt the snow away before she could sit down without risking getting a wet bottom.

She took the letter from Saint Francis’s out of her satchel and looked over the envelope, the ink was written out in a lavender, the seal was also in lavender, and the characters in the seal were a Witch in long robes hugging a Unicorn foal. Annette carefully broke the seal before she took out the letter, it was nearly two pages long on both front to back.

  


_Dear Miss_ _Negrescu,_

_We are very pleased to inform you that your internship to come work at Saint Francis’s Sanctuary for Neglected and Mistreated Magical Creatures has been accepted. With letters from both Madam Pomona Sprout and Sir_ _Silvanus Kettleburn, we have decided to grant you two paid internships one for this summer before you start your sixth year and one for the summer before your seventh._ _Please keep in mind that even though this job is full-time, we are only able to pay you part-time. We need to hear from you on your choice about whether or not you will be taking these internships at the end of your O.W.L.s_

_Madame_ _Concierge,_

_Laetitia_ _Amant D’animaux_

Annette wanted to crush the letter to her chest, but instead she carefully put it back inside its envelope. She then placed it next to the other two envelopes. The second one that she opened was from Quinn. It was an invitation to his and Lan’s wedding this summer. June fifth, it was on a Saturday, one day and a week before she would leave for her paid internship at Saint Francis’s. The invite also stated that she could invite a guest if she wanted too. Should she invite Severus or that be inapposite and completely rip their friendship to shreds?

She leaned her head back against the tree and began humming ‘White Rabbit’ by Jefferson Airplane, if it was allowed she wished she had her radio with her, so she could play the Muggle music, she loved so much.

“And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you're going to fall, tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar has given you the call. And call Alice, when she was just small…”

“I didn’t know you were fan of _Jefferson Airplane_ …” a familiar voice broke her out of her song.

Annette opened her eyes to find herself staring in the depths of Severus’ onyx ones. “I love them.” A smile broke past her relaxed face. “What about you?”

“I like _The Who_.” Severus replied, he stayed leaning against the tree, casually looking down at her.

“I want to ask you something…it’s important and scary…” Annette whispered, seeing the Marauders walking in the distance on the Black Lake’s bank.

“I won’t be able to give you an answer unless you ask me.” The Slytherin shrugged, she could almost see a hint of a smile on his lips.

“Would you accompany me to my brother’s wedding this summer?” the Badger asked, handing him the simple invitation, so he could look it over.

Severus looked at the simple invitation in his hands, it was hand-made with flowers in bloom decorating the edges, the petals of the flowers were navy blue, the insides black. How was he going to afford the dress robes? If he had gotten the job at the potioneers’ shop then all he would have to worry about is saving enough to buy the dress robes.

He glanced down at the invitation again and then at Annette. “I would be happy to be your date.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30 will be posted on Wednesday, and Chapter 31 will be posted on Sunday. Please leave a comment or a kudos. :)  
> -little sloth

The shade from the trees in the Forbidden Forest, only made the cold of winter worse as the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins followed after Professor Sprout and Professor Kettleburn, owls were either nestled in the trees asleep, the ones that enjoyed the crisp air instead of the stuffy Owlery. The younger ones were busy chasing after the frightened squirrel or other small critters that were not fighting hibernation.

Annette looked up from where she had been looking at her feet making sure that she did not trip over a tree root. When she looked up into the hollow of a tree, she saw several eyes peep out at her, they were silver and white with a black pupils in the shape of a crescent moon, their feathers looked like the night sky, the type of blue that happened when the sun was setting and the stars were just peeking out. Before the Hufflepuff could stop herself she tripped over a tree root and somehow her body decided that her back and head deserved the pain instead of her stomach and face.

Severus stopped and crouched down next to her. “Are you alright?”

“Jobberknolls…” Annette whispered. “They are so beautiful in their silence and color, but when they die, it is the most tragic sound in the world, I hope I never have to hear it.” The Hufflepuff sat up and brushed snow out of her hair and took Severus’s gloved hand, as he pulled her back to her feet.

They quickly caught up with the rest of their class, they were crowded around a very sturdy and broad tree, and it looked majestic and ancient. Far up in the bows of the tree was Bowtruckle. It was difficult to see because the bark of its body nearly matched that of the tree. Its face was round and kind of shaped like how a child would a draw sun, but with rounded edges instead of pointy. It stared at them, its long limbs wrapped around the branch it had occupied, it made an odd noise like a cricket and was about to skitter farther into the canopy of darkness in the forest, when Professor Kettleburn dug out a small pouch in his pocket, but before he gave the tree guardian creature his full attention, he turned to his class.

“Can anyone tell me what offerings I should be giving the Bowtruckle?”

Severus’ hand shot up in the air before Annette’s could, which she didn’t mind, but it felt so odd for her that the Slytherin had not let go of her other hand after he had helped her up from her fall earlier. But the feeling of having Severus beside her made her feel so happy and safe, that she hoped that he was also in love with her, just as much as she was with him.

Of course, Professor Kettleburn picked Severus out of the group, since his hand was the first one up.

“The offering should either be wood lice or fairy eggs, sir.” Severus said, and he couldn’t help silently laughing because Annette shivered in disgust when he had said wood lice.

“Very good, ten points to Slytherin.”

Professor Kettleburn opened up the silver pouch and put the fairy eggs in his hand before offering them up to where the Bowtruckle was still watching them very carefully. But something went wrong, the bowtruckle lunged from its spot in the trees, its long clawed fingers outstretched out to Professor Kettleburn’s eyes. That was when Annette spotted Sirius Black and James Potter hiding in the bushes nearby, they had used Incendio on the tree and now it was alit with flames. Just so they could watch the chaos unfold in front of them.

Annette let go of Severus hand, her wand in her right hand as she quickly cast the spell that came to mind. “ _Aqua Eructo!”_ water shot from the tip of her wand as it extinguished the flames, leaving Professor Sprout to grab the two Gryffindor trouble-makers from their hiding spots, she dragged them out by the collars of their robes.

Professor Kettleburn on the other hand was trying to keep the angered Bowtruckle from clawing out his eyes, instead it was able to scratch at his face and hands, leaving long painful cuts. The tree guardian spotted the fairy eggs and snatched them up in its mouth, making its cheeks puff out like a chipmunk as it skittered half-way back up the tree, and peered at the damage that had been done to its home. It chippered angrily, making loud clicking noises once it had swallowed all of the fairy eggs.

Severus and Jenna were kneeling by Professor Kettleburn. Jenna used _Episkey_ to heal the gashes on the Defense Against the Dark Art’s Master’s face and hands. Severus still stayed close by just in case, while Professor Sprout reprimanded James and Sirius

“Twenty points will be taken away from each of you, and don’t even get me started on what is going to happen to you when Professor McGonagall hears about this.” She then looked at the rest of her students and let out a sigh of frustration and disappointment. “All of you are free to go. Gandalf and Jenna, if you wouldn’t mind escorting Mister Black and Mister Potter to the Headmaster’s office.”

Professor Kettleburn was back on his feet, most of the students were still there, mingling not really sure if they should leave the reckless adult Wizard in the Forbidden Forest or to wait and walk out with him.

Snow began to fall outside in a gentle whisper as Annette found herself in the Magical Creatures of the Wizarding World section in the library, after dinner she needed quiet and time to plan out her homework schedule, so she would not be procrastinating. She was swung sideways in the large armchair, her legs dangling over one arm and her head resting against the other. She dreaded the three evenings a week she was going to have Quidditch practice before her game against Slytherin. Because James and Sirius could not play in the last match, Gryffindor ended up losing without their two best Chasers. And the final match of the year was between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. She used a quick-drying spell on the ink in her agenda and sighed. She looked over at Severus upside down as she tilted her head back. He was sitting at a table, busily writing in his Potions book.

Beside his Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology textbooks was the letter from Slug & Jiggers Apothecary still unopened, the black wax seal not even touched. Annette wondered if he was too afraid to open it and that was why it remained as it was, untouched with the seal still perfect and the ink on the front not even smudged.

“Severus?” Annette whispered and smiled all happily when he looked at her with what could have been maybe a little bit of a closed-mouth smile back.

“I’m busy, Annette.” He replied and went back to scribbling in his Potions book.

Annette sighed and let out an ‘ugh’ of annoyance, “You’re _always_ busy.”

“You should be too.” He said, he had already finished all of his homework and was only staying in the library because he had Annette to hang out with.

“I am, I’m currently cringing at my horrible picture of Dennis for Potions. I have to hand it in tomorrow.”

Severus raised an eyebrow. “Dennis?”

Annette passed a black and white photograph of the Chinese Chomping Cabbage. The vegetables where currently growing happily under the care of Professor Sprout. The one that she deemed to be her favorite was a dark purple, he had fangs that protruded out of his mouth in an overbite and his tongue was so long that it flopped out to the left side, it had become her favorite and she had lovingly named the Chinese Chomping Cabbage, Dennis.

Severus stood from his seat and took the scroll of parchment that the Hufflepuff had drawn Dennis on, she had been busily labeling the drawing, like she was supposed to for Potions.

“I-It’s not…awful.” He said with a tad bit of decency, trying not wince.

“I can’t draw it any better, so Professor Slughorn will hopefully accept it as is.” The Hufflepuff said, returning to labeling the drawing that even though it was not an exact replica of the photo, it would have to do.

Before he could stop her the eager Badger took the letter and opened it for him with a flick of her wand, she then handed it back to him. “Even if you didn’t get the job, it is better to know then to dread about not knowing the outcome.”

Severus sighed and gave her a soft smile, he then gently unfolded the piece of parchment, and he read it through twice before he was able to tell Annette what the reply was for his application. The Hufflepuff was still fussing over her drawing of Dennis the Chinese Chomping Cabbage.

“Annette…” he waited to continue until she was looking up at him and away from the example diagram that had been handed out in Potions class earlier in the week.” “I got the job.”

The Hufflepuff grinned and wrapped the Slytherin in an awkward hug, she also felt herself kissing his cheek, but did not realize it until she pulled away and rather embarrassed with her actions, she went back to labeling her drawing, while Severus still slightly stunned by the public display of affection, even though he thought he would have been used to Annette and her outright feelings of affection toward him, slowly returned to working on writing in his Potions book.

Severus and Annette left the library, once they had both finished what homework they had, that could not be put aside any longer. The quiet of the space echoed out into the halls. They were gingerly holding hands, they both tried to ignore the fact that some of the paintings were giggling and whispering about them, and the Hufflepuff could feel her cheeks warming with embarrassment.

They had made their way past the kitchens, past the House Elves that were busy scrubbing pots and pans, plates, and silverware, making sure that everything meant for tomorrow’s meals was as clean as a whistle. Some of them teetered, unbalancing as they popped in and out in a bang of chalky-white smoke and carried heavy loads of wood to the Commons Room of all four Houses.

And suddenly without either the Snake or the Badger noticing, they were now standing in front of the barrels that led to the Hufflepuff House Common room. Annette readjusted her heavy satchel and she could feel her cheeks becoming redder as Severus tucked a lock of her hair that gone astray from the French twist it was in.

“Are you going to cheer me on at the final Quidditch match of the year?” she asked nervously.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it.” He replied, making sure that she made it safely into her House before heading for his own.

The day before the final match of the year Annette sat down beside her best friends, Jenna and Pandora. The trio of girls were huddled in the Great Hall busy studying for their upcoming O.W.L.s or finishing homework that was due after the upcoming weekend ended. The study hall was being monitored by Ravenclaw’s Head of House and Charms Master, Filius Flitwick. Annette could not help but notice that the dark red curly headed Irish Witch’s eyes kept drifting away from her work for Care of Magical Creatures, a drawing of a Bowtruckle, and toward the scarred face of Remus Lupin.

Annette was busy trying to study for their upcoming exam in Transfiguration, she had already finished her horrible drawing and labeling it, she also somewhat hated herself for being jealous of Jenna’s talent of when it came to drawing, no wonder her extracurricular activity included Muggle Art and Muggle Painting.

“You have a crush on Remus Lupin…” Annette whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the page she was on in her textbook while she jotted down notes to use as a study guide.

Jenna cleared her throat nervously and whispered back, “So, what? He’s cute!”

Annette’s only answer was to stick her tongue out in a teasing manner as they continued with their work, Pandora quietly giggling at her best friends’ antics. The Ravenclaw Prefect decided to change the subject before it turned into, ‘I do not’, ‘You do too’ type of conversation.

“Nettie are you nervous about the upcoming match against Slytherin?”

Annette looked up from her notes, “Of course, I am! Regulus Black is their Seeker. He has never missed catching the Snitch. We are totally doomed!”

Receiving a warning look from Professor Flitwick, all three girls hastily returned to their work. Annette pretending not to notice that when Jenna wasn’t looking, Remus Lupin, Werewolf and Wizard, was sneaking looks at the redheaded Hufflepuff Prefect. And for reasons only she knew, Annette feared what would happen to her best friend, if this spark of a crush turned into a full-blown fiery romance.


	30. Chapter 30

It was the sound of the wind chimes making music that broke Eileen Snape out of her slight daydream, the weather was still cold but was turning just the tiny bit melted. Spring breezes sometimes snuck through the blustery chill, leaving hopes of an upcoming blossom dashed. The Witch gently set down the letter that she had been reading, it had been from Severus. Not a very long one since he needed to study for his Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, but just enough to reassure his mother that he was healed after the last letter that had been sent by Headmaster Dumbledore nearly made her heart stop, and the hair raise on the back of her neck.

If something ever happened to her son, she was not sure what she would do, it also made her wonder if Tobias really cared about his son at all, because when he had found his wife sobbing, curled up on the couch, the night Severus had been attacked by some sort of odd tree, he snatched the letter from her roughly and read it through quickly and then let it land on top of the blanket that Eileen was covering herself with.

“Quit your sniveling and make dinner. The damn boy isn’t dead…get a hold of yourself!” Tobias had growled before opening up the refrigerator to grab a bottle.

He had also had not been very pleased to hear that she had gotten a job, he had wanted her to be nothing but a doting housewife, but Eileen could not allow herself to live like that anymore and instead took the job, now on weekends was her time to catch-up on the chores that had been neglected.

Eileen opened the door to go and fetch the post from the mail box, but when she opened it she found Lily Evan’s mother standing there, looking rather nervous on the creaky rundown porch. Unlike Eileen, she did not look ragged or worn. She had freshly applied makeup that accentuated her green eyes and her light blonde hair was plaited away from her face, sitting in the driveway was her muggle transportation.

“Dahlia…what are you doing here?” Eileen said trying not sound frightened as she quickly tried to hide her bruised hands and the healing ones that were not easily hidden with makeup, so she tried desperately to hide it behind her curtain of long ebony hair.

It shocked the Pure-Blood Witch that the Muggle woman was in Spinner’s End, let alone had driven here of her own freewill, Eileen knew that the Evans’ did not hold her and her husband very highly in their tight knit circle of neighbors.

“Oh, I had hoped that what Lily had written me from Hogwarts wasn’t true. Does Tobias really hurt you?”

The once-proud Slytherin cleared her throat weakly and replied, “I’m just clumsy, Dahlia. Really.”

“Clumsy enough to sprain three fingers?” the Muggle woman demanded her voice slightly shaky as she took Eileen’s hands in her own very gently. “I was a nurse before I had Petunia…I’ve seen…Oh, Eileen, you can’t allow him to keep doing this to you!”

“You should mind your own business, Dahlia and so should your nosy daughter.” Eileen growled, but there were tears sparkling at the edge of her eyes.

She shut the door on the Muggle woman and waited until she could here Dahlia Evans footsteps creaking downward on the porch steps before she was able to sink to the floor and furiously wipe the tears that were trickling down her cheeks with her fingers. She grabbed her wand from the fold of her sweater and grabbed her coat, she needed to call the Knight Bus in order to stop at the Apothecary to get ingredients for a fast healing potion. She did not want anyone at work asking about the bruises or giving her looks of concern, and calling the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would not help in the least. They had already tried to help and their “help” only made Tobias far more angered then he had been before.

The triple-decked bus screeched to a halt nearly tossing Eileen from her seat as the driver stopped bat Charing Cross Road, the adult Witch was barely able to murmur a thank-you before the bus took off again. Eileen found herself edging her way into the Leaky Cauldron. Tom was at the bar, tending to it and his customers as usual. She tried to weave and squeeze her way through the crowd until she made her way into back alley and into Diagon. It was flooded with Witches and Wizards alike going from one shop to the next, Eileen was quick to notice Molly Weasley, the red-haired Witch’s hair was yanked back in a hasty bun, she had a four-year-old redheaded boy resting on her hip, while the older redheaded boy who was six, was trying to tug his mother toward Flourish and Blotts’ bookstore. But Molly wrapped him up in her other arm and rested him on her other hip, and instead of going to the more popular bookstore, they headed into Second-Hand Bookshop.

Eileen understood the young mother’s struggle, buying second-hand was practically a necessity when money was short. The older Witch headed toward Slug & Jiggers Apothecary and let herself become relaxed and calm in the atmosphere of potions brewing in the back and the scents of ingredients on the shelves. The clerk working today was a young Witch with short and choppy caramel colored hair and dark chocolate brown eyes. She had the build of a Quidditch Seeker, short and skinny, and probably had just graduated Hogwarts last year. When she noticed Eileen Snape browsing the shelves, she set her copy of _Witch Weekly_ down on the counter, and with her chin resting in her palms, her voice came out in an air of practice that was almost soaked in boredom.

“Do you need any help?”

Eileen turned making sure that her ebony hair was once again curtained so it blocked the view of the side of her face that was bruised. “I need a Fast-Healing Potion.” She tried not to sound like she was in a rush, but she was as she hastily dug out her coin purse that was hidden within her small leather bag.

The clerk turned around and grabbed a bottle with a bright pink liquid inside it and set it on the counter next to Eileen’s hand and coin purse. “That’ll be two Sickles.”

Eileen tried not to wince at the price, but handed over the two coins anyways. She took the potion and tucked it into the side pouch of her leather bag and left the store. She didn’t drink it until she was closer to where she would be entering the Ministry of Magic. She popped the cork off of the clear bottle and chugged down the contents in one breath. The potion tasted of old leather books and canned cat food. Eileen face crinkled at the taste in her mouth and she quickly dug in her purse for a couple of peppermints to suck on while she sat at her desk.

She used the fireplace back at the Leaky Cauldron in order to get to the fireplace that was in the Commons room of the Department of for the Regulation of and Control of Magical Creatures. She sat down at her desk and began to organize the letters for each employee in their proper cubbies before she sent locator charms on them.

“Good morning, Mister Lupin.” She greeted the worn down Wizard with a small smile before he disappeared behind his office door.

Eileen continued to busy herself with sending out letters to hopeful interns, by walking them to the Owlery herself. This job made her happy, it made her feel as if she had a purpose now.

* * *

 

Hufflepuff had lost against Slytherin.

It was a deafening blow that Annette did not want to feel, even though she knew it was a high possibility. Now, now she was hiding in the Creatures of the Wizarding World section in the library making herself flashcards in order to make it easier for her to study for Potions. Pandora was on her right, studying for Care of Magical Creatures, and Jenna was on her other side studying for Herbology.

Annette looked up from the stack of flashcards to see Severus standing in front of her, he sat down in the empty chair across from the Hufflepuff and took her first stack of flashcards.

“I’ll test you, if you want?” Severus asked shuffling the stack in his hands.

Annette nodded and sniffled a little. Severus took her hand in his own and gave her the handkerchief he had stashed in his book bag. “Here. Annette it was just one loss. There is always next year.”

Annette smiled at him weakly, “Thanks, Severus.”

“Now, Draught of Living Death. Ingredients and usage.”

Annette walked down the hallway with Jenna as they made their way toward the Great Hall for dinner, dodging a couple of Third and Fourth years that were in Ravenclaw House, while Pandora was behind them, letting out a sigh as they disregarded her order to stop running.

“Study sessions are not exactly a romantic date, Nettie.” Jenna said as they made their way to their House table.

“We’re not dating!” Annette hissed as she sat down beside the Prefect, digging into her baked potato and grilled chicken.

Jenna shrugged and smirked, “Whatever you say. I have a meeting tonight with other Prefects so you are on your own with the Charms and Potions homework.”

“Thanks…” Annette groaned, “You are leaving me to drown.”

“Oh look, here comes your lifesaver.” Jenna said as she quickly caught up with Remus, Lily, Gandalf, Pandora, andXenophilius.The Slytherin Prefects, Evan Rosier and Gwendoline Quickly followed closely behind. They were all heading toward the empty classroom they were using for their Prefect meeting.

Annette glanced over to see Severus approaching, he was obviously already done with his meal. He sat down next her, his Potions textbook in his lap. “I was wondering if you would like to join me for one of Professor Slughorn’s dinner parties this Sunday.”

“I thought only Slug Club members were allowed to attend those.” Annette said, cutting more of her chicken.

“We’re allowed to invite guests.” Severus replied, scribbling in his textbook once again.

Annette could feel her cheeks warming a little. “I wouldn’t mind going with you. But I am going to need to go shopping for a dress robe.”

“I will meet in the library in your favorite section on Sunday night at six.” Severus said and with a small smile, he stood and made his way back to the Slytherin table.

Annette let out a sigh and a smile appeared on her for a second, before the realization struck her. “Damn it…now I have to go dress shopping.” She always felt like a little girl playing dress-up in her mother’s clothes when she tried to go shopping. Hence the reason why she kind of liked wearing uniforms, that way she did not have to worry about what looked best on her.

Still having to worry about her Potions and Charms homework, Annette left the rest of her dinner abandoned as she made her way back to Hufflepuff House. Once she was inside the Common Room, she sat down on one of the couches and dug out her agenda. She had to practice the Mending Charm, so Professor Flitwick could grade them on their performance on Monday. For Potions, she had to study the ingredients for a practice exam, so she dug out her flashcards. It might have been a Saturday night, but she did not have anything better to do but study.

Lily Evans found Severus Snape in the Potions supply closet organizing bottles of ingredients by the light of his wand. She leaned casually in the doorway and let out a sigh. “You are such a Potions geek.” She then stuck her tongue out playfully before she could not help giggling, when Severus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Do you have a date yet for Professor Slughorn’s dinner party tomorrow?”

“Yes, Annette is accompanying me.” Severus replied while he placed a label on one of the bottles.

“You _like_ her don’t you?” Lily questioned, she saw the way the Hufflepuff and Potions Protege hung out and looked at each other.

“Perhaps.” It was the only answer Severus would give her.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 32 will be posted on Wednesday and Chapter 33 will be posted on Sunday. Thank you all so much for the support, I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)  
> -little sloth

The train stopped at the Hogsmeade Station on Sunday morning as Annette and Jenna departed wrapped up in their cloaks as they made their way farther into the village. The snow was still deep even with spring nipping at its heels. The two Hufflepuff Fifth-Years made their way toward Gladrags Wizardwear, a shop that not only sold dress robes, regular robes, and cloaks, but also very peculiar socks.

They passed young Witches and Wizards, which were running about in between crowds, trying to dodge snowballs that their friends were throwing. Their squeals of delight and laughter filled the air, making some of the grumpiest of older Witches and Wizards smile.

Once Annette and Jenna had entered Gladrags Wizardwear, they pulled their hoods away and tried to regain the heat they had lost in their hands, because somehow they had both forgotten their gloves. Jenna started glancing at the socks, while Annette found her way toward the dress robes for girls. Jenna met her fellow Badger in front of the two dress robes, she was trying to choose from. One was a dark forest green with dark brown ribbons, while the other was a lemon chiffon dress with onyx colored ribbons.

Jenna looked at her best friend, she was holding a pair of socks that were white with black music notes on them all over, they would play a note or an entire song depending on where the wearer was stepping or how fast they were going.

Annette raised her eyebrow, and smiled a little. “They’re on sale, huh?”

Jenna grinned, “Yes, and I am getting them! Now let’s get you ready for your date, Nettie!”

Annette let out a sigh of frustration, “It isn’t a date!” even though she really wished that it was.

After Annette had chosen a dress robe, they left Gladrags Wizardwear, with her holding a black box tied with a white ribbon.

“I’ll help you with your hair! And Pandora can you help you with your makeup!” Jenna said excitedly, as they sat on a bench outside of the station to wait for the train to return them to Hogwarts.

The Fifth-Year Slytherin sat on one of the couches in the Commons Room of his House, he was reading a secondhand copy of _Watership Down_ that his mother had sent to him via Owl. He could not help enjoying the book, it was an odd book about rabbits. Rabbits that had their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. Once he had finished it, he would give it to Annette to borrow.

“Severus.”

The Potions Protégé looked up when his name was called, his former upper classman, Lucius Malfoy was standing in front of him, holding an older pair of dress robes that no longer fit him, they had been kept in the bottom of his old school trunk, in a clear plastic bag to protect it from any damage.

“Will these fit?” Lucius asked, he was already dressed himself in dark green dress robes with silver cuffs, neck, and bottom, his hair was plaited back in a braid, held by a dark green ribbon. But his attire was meant for a dinner party that had been set up by his parents, along with Druella and Cygnus Black the Third.They were the parents of his betrothed, Narcissa.

The Hogwarts graduate of nineteen seventy-two had only come to drop off the robes, they had no longer fit him, and even though Severus never spoke of his financial situation, Lucius knew that the young Slytherin did not have the money for proper dress robes. Besides, he had wanted to see how Severus was fairing, and it was faster for him to get permission from Headmaster Dumbledore and his Head of House, Professor Slughorn, to bring the robes himself.

“Yes, thank you.” Severus replied as he disappeared into the bedchambers that he shared with Regulus Black, Rodolphus Lestrange, and his brother, Rabastan Lestrange. He quickly changed and then made his way to the library where his date was waiting for him, that was after Lucius had double checked that Severus was indeed alright. The blonde haired Pureblood left Hogwarts grounds by the way of one of the carriages, that was pulled by _Thestrals._

When Severus met her the shadows of the library shelves, Annette could not help but smile. Severus was wearing dress robes, he had borrowed from Lucius Malfoy. They were a simple black fabric with silver buttons and a silver collar with silver cuffs. A snake had been sown in silver thread with white scales and red ruby eyes, it twisted and curled among the silver buttons on the front.

And there stood Annette in the lemon chiffon dress she had picked out, it flowed down to the edge of her ankles, the sleeves hung slightly just enough to hang in a beautiful way. She wore soft black flats and her hair was twisted into a braided coronet. There was a length of onyx ribbon that was wrapped around her waist and tied in a neat bow in the back. There was also back onyx ribbon on the front that curved around the low V-neck, showing just a hint of cleavage. Along the sleeves and close to the bottom ruffle of the dress. She also had on black eyeshadow that curved up slightly at the edge of her eyes like a bird’s wing, with a touch of black eyeliner. She was also wearing a little bit of blush on her cheeks and a touch of soft pink lipstick on her lips.

She could not help the red warmth of embarrassment that slightly brightened the blush on her cheeks, as she noticed that Severus staring at her, he stopped staring at her, once she took a hold of his hand, her touch brought him out of his awe.

“Severus, in all fairness I should warn you, I am not a very graceful dancer. If there should be dancing at this dinner party.” The Hufflepuff said, still blushing, when he entangled their fingers.

“Neither am I. We shall be imperfect and awful dancers together.” He admitted.

An empty classroom had been borrowed for the occasion, music played from a record player in the corner, House Elves were carrying around trays with a variety of sweets and salty snacks, and others carried around drinks. Annette noticed Pandora right away, she was wearing amethyst robes with different phases of the moon decorating it, and the moons were made from white pearls that had been sewn in. Next to her was Lily Evans wearing a simple black dress that had long sleeves, and flowed down to her ankles, beside them was Gwendolyn Quickly, she was wearing gorgeous dress robes of powder blue color, decorated with her family’s’ crest in black diamonds. There were many other Witches and Wizards there, that Annette did not recognize.

“So, this is the famous Slug Club?” Annette asked, as Severus led her farther into the room.

Severus shrugged a little before he replied, “It is more like auditions to be in his collection.”

“Collection?” Annette asked with a quirked eyebrow, she started to picture some of the guests as porcelain dolls in a display case, and she tried to cover up the shiver the thought brought down her spine.

“Yes, he only chooses students who can give him certain things, privileges, gifts. He is a very greedy and selfish man.” The Slytherin explained icily.

“Then why did you invite me to accompany you?”

“I enjoy your company. You make me happy.” Severus said, with a soft smile he took Annette’s hand and they began to slow dance to a song that was playing on the record player.

With her head resting on his shoulder, Annette could help smiling, she wished she could stay this close to Severus forever, she did not want the dance to end. After the slow dance was over, the rushes of people talking and bursts of laughter, the magic spell of the slow dance was broken and everything had gone back to normal. They seated themselves on one of sofas that had been pushed along the wall, a House Elf walked toward them, the tray he carried was piled with cauldron cakes still warm from the oven. They both took one, a cloth napkin wrapped around the treat.

“Do you think you’ll become a part of it?” Annette asked, as she carefully took a bite of the cauldron cake, fearing that she might just burn her tongue.

“A part of Slughorn’s collection?” Severus questioned, as he picked at his cauldron cake.

“Yes, do you think you’ll become one of his famous members?” Annette inquired.

“No.” Severus answered, “I don’t have anything of value for him to be interested in me.”

What Severus gave as his reply was not Annette was expecting, he was a brilliant Wizard, at least in her eyes. While they sat on the sofa and watched other Witches and Wizards mingle, laughing at each other’s jokes. The Hufflepuff girl gently rested her head on Severus’s shoulder before she lifted it ever so slightly to kiss him on the cheek.

“I value you, Severus. If it wasn’t for you I would still be struggling with Potions.”

“Thank you, Annette.” The Slytherin boy replied, and could not help that he wanted to spend more time with her, just spending time with the Hufflepuff girl made him feel happier than he ever thought he could. “When did you first realized you loved Magical Creatures?”

“Well, I always have loved animals in general, they don’t just have to be magical. Mum didn’t think I could handle having a pet my first year at Hogwarts, so in my Second Year for my birthday, my dad bought me a half-Kneazle kitten. His name is Gilbert…” she trailed off and could not help blushing, Annette had always been an open person, but talking with Severus was different, she felt so comfortable with him. “I’m hoping I can take him with me when I move into the dorm rooms at Saint Francis's Sanctuary for Neglected and Mistreated Magical Creatures.”

“I am nervous about going there…” she admitted, while the music and conservations continued on without the pair being involved.

“Right now, just be prepared for our O.W.L.s.” Severus said watching as Lily swept past him, waltzing with a Seventh-Year Ravenclaw Wizard named Russell Mundy.

“You’re right, one step at a time.” Annette agreed. “Why are you so fixated on Potions?”

“They are something I have control over…same with the Dark Arts. When I am able to master both of them, I won’t have to be…” Severus stopped himself from going on any farther, his hands were beginning to shake.

“Afraid?” she could see it in his eyes, the same look he had when they were sitting on the hospital floor of Saint Mungo’s, the only reply she received was a nod of conformation.

Professor Slughorn had sat down beside Lily after the redheaded Witch had finished dancing with Russell. Her eyes were sparkling as she told Slytherin’s Head of House about how badly she wanted to be an Aurora, Severus did not think he had ever seen anyone so excited about magic in his entire life, then again this was Lily, his childhood friend, a Muggle-Born whose life had been changed forever after they met. How could they have drifted apart so easily?

Annette had stood from the sofa to fetch herself a glass of pumpkin juice, leaving Severus to soak in his own thoughts. She sipped the cold liquid from its goblet slowly, her wand was in a long pocket that was at the hip of her dress, not that she would think that she would need it here, it was simply a dinner party, but without, she felt exposed. She finished her glass of pumpkin juice and left it on an empty tray that a House-Elf was carrying. Annette returned and stood in front Severus and offered him her callused hand, working in green houses and being beater for her House Quidditch team, defiantly did not leave her with soft and pleasant skin. He put his hand on top hers and raised an eyebrow in question.

“Are you asking me to dance?”

Annette shook her head, “Let’s get away from this party, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind at all.” He answered.

They sat in the library in their favorite section, watching as snow fell down from the sky almost lazily. Annette rested her head on Severus’ chest, her tutor was dozing off with his potions book in his hand, in the other was a quill for writing, which was now slowly dripping on to some scraps of parchment, the Hufflepuff could not help but notice a fast written note on one of the pages, it was the page right after the cover.

_This Book is the Property of the Half-Blood Prince._


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this chapter early, which means chapter 33 will be posted on Saturday. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, thank you so much for all of your kudos and encouraging comments. :)  
> -little sloth

Severus Snape stared at the letter in his hands, he was not sure if the news his mother wrote to him was supposed to be either good or bad. He stared at the letter in his gloved hands, the hooting of owls while they ruffled their feathers echoing throughout where the mail carriers roosted. It was an early Monday morning, and he had promised Annette the night before, after they had abandoned Slughorn’s dinner party for the solitude of Hogwarts’s library, that they would have regular study sessions together in order help each other prepare for their most difficult of O.W.L.s exams.

He slipped the letter back into the envelope and slid it into the side pocket of his tote. Hefting the bag back over his shoulder, he left the Owlery, as the tower creaked and groaned as wind rushed through the holes that were in the building’s roof. The morning sun was beginning to melt the icicles that hung from the castle, as Severus made his way inside and toward the Great Hall. Annette was sitting at the Hufflepuff table sipping a mug of hot chocolate and nibbling on a pastry. Remus Lupin was sitting at the Gryffindor table trying to help Peter Pettigrew with his Charms essay.

Annette glanced up from her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook where she had been making notes about Defensive Charms and was working on her detailed drawing of a Vampire bat. She set the quill down and frowned when she noticed the worry and confusion that had become etched on Severus’s face.

“What’s wrong?” the question came out in a whisper that laced with panic.

“I received this letter from my mother.” He replied and handed it to her, so the Hufflepuff could read it herself.

_To my dear Severus,_

_I am sorry that have to inform you through a letter, I wish I could do it in person. Your father is in hospital, muggle not magical. Your father’s long habits of drinking and smoking have finally caught up with him, he has the beginnings of lung cancer. We will not know the severity of the cancer until further tests are run._

_Please stay safe._

_With all my love,_

_Mum_

“Severus…I…” Annette struggled to form the proper words, she could not find a way to comfort him, and she had no clue what to say in this situation.

“I don’t know how I should feel about this information. On one hand, I am glad that he finally getting what he deserves, on the other I am going to lose my father…” Severus stood up from the bench and took the letter, stowing it once more in his tote. “I need time to think…to wrap my mind around this…” he left the Great Hall and headed toward the dungeons where he could be among potions and their ingredients, to among a concoction he could understand and manipulate how he saw fit. He gathered the ingredients he would require from the cabinet in the classroom that had the supplies. Taking his cauldron from where it rested on the shelf in the dungeon that served as the Potions classroom, he began to mix the ingredients for a Calming Drought. His hands shook as he struggled to get himself to relax enough so he could make the potion. He was making it for himself of course, he needed to be in a better mindset before he wrote back to his mother, not to mention that he also needed to be focused on his studies rather than the fate his father had brought upon himself.

Severus was so focused on crafting the Calming Draught that he jostled a little in surprise when Horace Slughorn laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Is everything alright, Mister Snape?” the Potions Master questioned as he sat down beside his student, setting the papers down that he needed to grade for class full of First Years.

“I’m just fine, Professor.” Severus answered as he slowly poured the finished Calming Draught into a vial and then corked it shut, he could feel his lie beginning to choke him. He entered the cold and mustiness in the hallway that lead to the many dungeon classrooms,, after he had cleaned up his station and cleaned out his cauldron thoroughly before putting it back in its proper place.

He could deal with this alone couldn’t he? He did not want anyone’s pity or hallow words of condolence. He needed to figure out how he and his mother were going to survive in the Muggle world without their father there. Would they move to a different place in the Wizarding world or would they still live among the non-magical people? It was so terribly confusing, he wanted to be there to comfort his mother, but he was not sure if he could watch his father slowly wither away to nothing in a hospital bed.

With the potion he had crafted inside his bag he made his toward the library, hoping to find Annette in their usual spot for their study sessions. He found her nestled in a chair with a coal black half-Kneazle cat in her lap. The creature had golden eyes and large ears, its face looked as if it had been smooshed when it walked into a sliding glass door. But from what he could do the large and fluffy feline was perfectly content where it was.

Severus took the battered copy of _Watership Down_ from his bag and cleared his throat a little. Annette looked up from what she was reading, it was a copy of _Potions and Herbs: Natural Remedies for Muggle Diseases._ Her fingers were covered in ink from writing everything she could possibly think of to cure Severus’ father, her face and nose were red from crying, and there were ink smudges on her cheeks from where she had tried stubbornly to stop the tears.

“I-I’m sorry, I was trying to find a cure for you…but I haven’t been able to find anything.” Annette said, trying her best not to start crying again.

Severus let his tote slid down from his arm and thump on to the floor next to Annette’s. “The fact that you are trying…that means so much to me. You don’t have to cry for me anymore.” He approached the Hufflepuff girl and before he knew what he was doing, he embraced her. She smelled very earthy, like she had mixed the herbs Oak moss, Vetiver, and Patchouli into an oil.

Annette let herself sink into Severus’ uniform and feel the pleasant and calming warmth, before she lifted herself away from him, the book he had wanted to give her was now on the floor on top of their shoe covered feet. She gingerly picked up it up and looked at the cover, it was worn and battered, and the illustration of rabbits was slowly fading away. “Is this for me to borrow?”

“Yes, and we can discuss it after if you want.” Severus replied, he handed her a navy blue handkerchief he had stored in his bag.

“I would love that. But Severus about your father…I don’t really know what to say to make you feel better, I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here if you ever need someone.” Annette said and her cheeks began to warm with embarrassment, as she struggled to get the ink smears off of her cheek.

“Thank you.” The Slytherin sat in another armchair and took out a piece of parchment to write a reply to his mother, he used his Care of Magical Creatures textbook as a table.

“Severus…”

The Slytherin looked up from what he was writing waiting for her to continue, but Annette shook her head, she could not in good conscious tell Severus Snape how she felt about him, and it still bit at her heart that he was in love with Lily Evans. “Forget it, it wasn’t important.” She handed him back his handkerchief after she used a quick stain-removing spell on it with her wand to make it clean instead of covered with streaks of ink.

Severus’ face crinkled in curiosity, but he let both the feeling and the way Annette had sounded when she said his name drift out of his mind. He continued his letter to his mother, while Annette was gently looking through the start of _Watership Down._ Her half-Kneazle cat, Gilbert, had his amber eyes narrowed at a dust bunny that was floating and bouncing across the floor. They stayed in the quiet of the library until the sun began to set. When they stood up to leave, Annette bumped into James Potter and Sirius Black, they must have come to the sanctuary of books to fetch Remus and Peter.

Gilbert growled and hissed at James Potter from where he rested draped across Annette’s shoulders and the back of her neck like a scarf. Severus’ black eyes were lit with hatred and a tiny spark of it was what could have been fear.

Remus sighed when he noticed the stand-off and approached James and Sirius, Peter stumbling behind. “I am sure we all have studying we need to do.” He said as a way to shatter the glaring and thick tension between them, but of course James Potter could not help himself in giving Severus one nasty insult before he left.

“You couldn’t even afford her a decent scarf, Snivelly, instead you bought her a living one, how is that going to keep her from catching your greasiness, if she can’t get it to wrap around her face?”

Severus’s wand was clutched so tightly in his hand, that his knuckles were white. He made a swift movement with his arm, but no words from a spell came his mouth. Before all of their eyes, James nearly toppled over, he could not move his legs, it was as if they were locked together.

Curses and name-calling could be heard being muttered against the carpet as James struggled to flip himself over, Sirius was too busy bent over laughing and Peter could not get James turned over on his own. Remus simply shook his head in disbelief, Annette and Severus left the library.

Gilbert still stayed where he was as they made their way to the top of the Astronomy tower, the chilled air made their exhaled breaths come out in white smoke like dragons. The Hufflepuff smiled a little, and her hazel eyes met with Severus’ coal black.

“Do you mind if…?” Severus could not get the rest of the question out, when Annette once again set down her messenger bag and dug out a fleece quilt. It was handcrafted one half was black and yellow, and the other half was silver and dark green, in the middle was a badger being coiled lovingly by a silver snake with ruby red eyes.

“Umm…my mum made it for us…she just sent it by owl today…apparently we’re…she thinks we’re a couple.” She laid down the blanket on the cold stone of the Astronomy Tower, she then sat down on it, while Gilbert laid over on his side, deciding that moment to clean himself.

“Would it be so awful if we were?” Severus asked as he sat down on the Slytherin side of the blanket.

Annette stared at him, she could feel the cold air nipping at the tears that were beginning to muddle her vision. “But you don’t love me…” she said hoarsely, her voice starting to break, “You love Lily Evans…don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. But that isn’t the point…” Severus was struggling to explain himself and feel the hurt he was toppling on to Annette began to spill over, like a breaking dam, his own heart was starting to ache.

“That is exactly the point, Severus…you can’t love two different people at the same time! It’s one or the other…me or her. You need to choose.” The words came out sputtering, tears slipping down her cheeks and becoming black because she still had ink on her cheeks. She used the spell _Pak_ and the blanket folded and became nestled in her messenger bag. She stormed down the Astronomy Tower stairs with Gilbert at her heels.

Severus sighed and stayed at the Astronomy Tower until he could no longer hear, Annette’s fading footsteps, he gathered his own bag and made his way to Slytherin House.

 


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kudos and comments. Chapter 34 will be posted on Tuesday and Chapter 35 will be posted on Saturday. :)  
> -little sloth

Eileen was struggling to breath, her hand was clasped tight to Tobias’s, and she could finally see the man that she had married, he had been there the entire time buried by jealousy and fear. But right now this fear of uncertainty was what had brought them back together. The shadow of Death that loomed over Tobias, a Muggle man who refused to believe that magic that could be beneficial for his health, that it could help him to live through this disease that was beginning to eat him alive.

They were waiting in the office of Mary Jane Burdock, a tall and willowy women with blood-red hair and somewhat pinched facial features. Her eyes were a grey-blue and she carried herself with a sense of poise and rationally. Her face softened slightly when she saw that Eileen was struggling to keep herself together, struggling to keep herself strong in the face of Death, which dared to try to yank apart her family.

“Your tests have not come back with positive results, Mister Snape.” Doctor Burdock said as she sat down in the chair behind her desk. There was a picture frame of two twin girls with copper-red hair tied into braids, wearing matching jean dresses, they looked to be around the age of eight, smiling both pairs of their front teeth missing, their grey-blue eyes shining with happiness and maybe a trickle of mischief. Eileen wondered what would happen if Doctor Burdock was the one that became ill, would her significant other be supportive or simply walk away?

“You are in stage three of lung cancer, we will need to start treatment as soon as possible. Don’t give up hope, Tobias. Neither should you, Eileen.”

They waited until Mary Jane Burdock had left her own office, the door closing with a soft click behind her. Eileen did not let go of the hold she had on her husband’s hand, she let a shaky breath of fear of the unknown escape her mouth before she was able to gather the words that she needed to say in a coherent sentence, “Tobias, if we went to Saint Mungo’s…”

Tobias scowled and then snarled out the words in a whisper that was filled with hatred. “I am not trusting _your_ people to make me better! For all I know they could easily just kill me!”

“Tobias…I don’t want to lose you…” Eileen whispered, her fingers clawing into his. “I-If I lose you, I’ll fall to pieces.”

“And if only I could trust you!” Tobias hissed, he got of the chair he was sitting in, it teetered on its legs after he stood, but it did not tip over. The Muggle man stumbled out into the hallway of the Cancer Wing, trying to muffle his coughing and wheezing with the sleeve of his steel grey sweater he was wearing, it was a Christmas gift from his sister-in-law.

Instead of following after him and to their second-hand car, a Buick Roadmaster. They had been able to afford the form of Muggle transportation after Eileen had gone to Gringotts to exchange some of the coin in her own personal account, and not out of the one she had opened for Severus, into Muggle currency. It made it easier for Tobias to get to work at the mill, and to drive to his doctor’s appointments, his wife on the other hand feared the contraption, which she could tell that her husband found amusing.

Eileen made her way to the bus stop, it was a couple of blocks away from the hospital, and used what little change she had left in the pocket of her coat to get to the Leaky Cauldron. The bus was crowded with nurses just getting off of their shift and heading home, mothers who were barely awake making it to their morning part-time jobs, and old men going to restaurants for the early-bird special before it was over.

When Eileen entered the Leaky Cauldron, the bar was in its lulling-filled hum of Witches and Wizards stopping in for a bite to eat before they made their way to work. Eileen was somehow able to resist Tom’s offer of tea or a morning cup of coffee as she made her way down the streets of Diagon Alley, trying to ignore the fact that the smells of Potions ingredients, the scents that she had once loved, now made her feel sick.

Eileen found herself in front of a building, she was supposed to be making her way toward Potage's Cauldron Shop, to use their floo network to get to the Ministry. But there was something about the building that made her stop in her tracks. Painted on the store window in sky-blue paint that could shape into birds and butterflies and spin into a smiley face, was the words, _Magically They Will Grow_. The W’s transformed into butterflies, the Ys into birds, and Ls and I into blossoming flowers. She sat down on the sunny yellow painted bench, and listened to the laughter and squeals of the witch and wizard toddlers running around within. She placed a hand on her stomach and let out a sigh, as she bit back the brisk taste of nausea returning.

The first time she had taken Tobias to the hospital, it had been late at night, he had just returned home from work, while she had decided to take refuge in the covers of their bed reading _The Ogre Downstairs_ , it might have been a children’s book, but it was something she could get lost in, while she tried to ignore the sounds of Tobias’s foul mouth of curses and persistent hacking-up-a-lung type coughing. When he came to bed, his raven-black hair untidy and frazzled, she thought that maybe it just his usual drunkenness, but there was spark in his eyes, a glint she had not seen in a very long time…love.

He did not smell as if he was soaked in liquor, there was a vague smell of cigarette smoke around him, and Tobias Snape was smiling. A truly happy smile. He kissed her lovingly, they took off each other’s clothes with somewhat of a frenzied fever, the covers became a toppled heap at the end of the queen-sized bed. Her hands gripped into his shoulders as he plunged himself with in her again and again, they moaned each other’s names in both whispers and choked cries of pleasure. It was not until he rolled off of her and was lying beside trying to get air into his lungs, but only succeeding in an agonizing coughing fit, that her husband had spent himself inside of her without any source of protection between them.

That had been two months ago, the night of their wedding anniversary, and now Tobias was suffering from stage three lung cancer, while their second child was growing within Eileen. Two months, a bump had formed, and with the warming spring weather it was going to get more difficult to hide, Eileen was not sure what to do, they did have a spare bedroom on the second floor, it was mostly used for storage, but it could be turned into a nursery for their child…their second child, Severus’s sibling…would Tobias be happy when she was finally able to gather up the courage to tell him or would he be distraught and angry?

Eileen smiled a little as Molly Weasley walked past her, she had her two oldest boys by the hand, as she led them inside the day care center. Eileen could tell not only from the exhaustion, but from way Molly was carrying herself, that the former Gryffindor was also with child. The eldest son was six, she heard Molly call out after him as his younger four-year-old brother followed after. “Bill, keep an eye on Charlie!” It was the quick distracted answer of, “Yes, Mum.” That followed, that should have given Molly a little bit of relief.

Eileen waited until Molly walked past her and into the Leaky Cauldron, before she stood and made her way toward Eeylops Owl Emporium, knowing that she could spare five minutes before she had to be in Department of for the Regulation of and Control of Magical Creatures, sorting letters and applications. She needed to send Severus a message by owl, a letter, her son needed to know. But she would not tell him everything, not everything that would be too much, far too much. For now she would tell him about his father’s condition, _condition_ even using that word within her own mind made her feel sick, what exactly do you call a disease that slowly kills you? That takes away the person who have loved and have fallen back in love with? How do you tell your own child that his father’s cancer is worse than you could have ever imagined? How was she supposed to comfort Severus when he was so far away?

With shaking hands Eileen opened the door to Eeylops Owl Emporium to be greeted by the hoots of owls and the sound of their ruffling feathers as they roosted in the exposed ceiling beams above. Sitting at the counter was a young Wizard wearing garnet colored robes and he had thick dusty sand brown colored hair that was mixed with streaks of grey, his eyes were cinnamon color of brown, when he greeted her, his words were thick with Russian accent. The silver name tag that was clipped on to his robes said Karkaroff.

Eileen was able to find just enough coins to pay for the letter and the delivery buried at the bottom of her purse. She handed them over to the Russian Wizard and selected a piece of parchment to write the letter on, even as she began to write her hands were shaking and tears dared to spill off her lashes and on to the wet ink. A rust-red owl landed where she was writing and waited patiently for her to finish, softly hooting. The letter was stained with tear drops, she hastily folded up the letter and slid into the envelope, sealing it with the black sealing wax that the post office offered. The owl left through a hatch that was open in the roof as Eileen rushed out of Eeylops Owl Emporium and practically ran to the nearest building with a floo network. She leaned against the warm brick of the Department of for the Regulation of and Control of Magical Creatures’ fireplace. In the Common room for the sectaries, there were cauldron cakes and muffins in a basket on the coffee table and a teapot still whistling out the steam, someone had made and put a hand-knit a blanket that was thrown over the ugly sand and dark chocolate plaid couch, Eileen gingerly made her way out of the fireplace and pulled her wand from out of her purse, using it to remove the soot from her clothes and hair, she glanced up at the clock that hung on the wall, she still had time to collect herself before she sat at her desk. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and it felt as if her lungs were being crushed. When the door to the common room opened with a nasty screech following, she looked up feeling sheer panic slide over like a bucket of ice water, and her wand was once again in her hand.

But it was only a few more secretaries, Rita and Jill. Eileen quickly collected herself, she sat down at her desk and looked over the agenda and began to sort letters. She needed the money to help pay medical bills and other expenses. Her hand fell down to the bump that was forming, she still feared when she was going to tell Tobias, but no matter what happened she would keep the child, surely Tobias would understand and love the child the way he had once loved Severus before he found out that Severus was a Wizard. Would he be more accepting of this child or would he give it the cold and wounding hate he gave Severus?


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I haven't updated in a couple of weeks. I started a new job, and I've been having health issues. Tonight, I will be posting chapter 34 and 35, and on Friday, I will be posting chapter 36.   
> -little sloth

Severus took a slow and calculated sip of the Calming Draught he had crafted under the watchful eye of Professor Slughorn, every time Severus entered the dungeons Advanced Potions lab, Horace looked at him with concern and a twinge of worry. The Slytherin boy had continued to use this potion to help him through his studies and to help him deal with the lack of information about his father from his mother. It had been a week since he heard anything, a week since he and Annette had somewhat of a fight, a week since neither he nor the Hufflepuff wanted to express their hidden feelings that they had for each other. The tension and unspoken words were like a thick curtain that hung between him and Annette, they still continued to help each other study. Annette helped him with Care of Magical Creatures and he helped her through Potions, they both aided each other in the mounting homework that was trying to drown them, and studying so they did not fail their O.W.L.s. But they never spoke about the night they had been in the Astronomy Tower.

The snow had melted and gone enough, and the weather had grown warm so that instead of hunkering down in the library, Severus and Annette would meet underneath a weeping willow tree that was beside the Black Lake. Today he found her there, her hair was pulled up and away from her face with the help of a messy bun and her black and yellow Hufflepuff tie, using it to hold her hair in place, even though two wavy curls had come loose and were framing her face, while her growing fringe almost covered her eyes completely. She had her broom leaning against the trunk, her hands were wrapped up tight in bandages, twisting around her knuckles and almost all the way down to her wrists. The bandages were slightly stained through with dried blood, she was holding a quill gently in her hand as she struggled to write down notes for History of Magic about the Giant Wars.

Severus rushed over to her allowing his bag to slouch on to the grass and off from where it had been hanging on his shoulder, he gently took her hands in his own, the black swan feathered quill slipping out from between her fingers and on to the grass.

“S-Severus…what are you…?” Annette stumbled for words as he began to unwrap the bandages from around her hands, underneath her knuckles were bruised and blooded.

The Slytherin Potions Protégé took out his wand, from where it had been tucked in his school robes. “ _Episkey.”_ The pain that had left her hands throbbing vanished in almost an instant, before she could stop him, Severus spoke another spell in a whisper, “ _Vulnera Sanentur._ ” The deep gashes that opened along her knuckles healed completely, leaving Annette without any pain at all.

Before Annette could ask Severus about the second spell, the one that she had never heard of or had studied or found in any book, his face turned into one filled with anger and worry. “Why would you hurt yourself like this?”

“I-I didn’t mean too. I forgot my gloves…I thought my hands were going to be okay…but I kind of took all my stress out on the bag…” Annette tried her best to explain, but she could tell she had only confused Severus even more. “I was boxing…”

“Boxing? Why would need to know how to punch someone?” Severus could not help his curiosity, he still had not let go of her hands that were still cradled in one of his own, the other still clutching his wand.

“It’s for Quidditch, Ennis was able to convince Professor Sprout to let us use one of the empty classrooms as a gymnasium of sorts.” Annette said, she was blushing now, she was enjoying the fact that Severus was holding her hands in an almost loving manner. “I’m punching and kick-boxing to keep myself a lean and mean Beater.”

Severus sighed and finally released his hold on Annette’s hands, tucking his wand away, he finally sat down beside her, instead of continuing to sit in front of her on his knees. “Please don’t forget to wear your gloves anymore, promise me.” He hated seeing her beaten and wounded, it reminded him far too much of his mother.

“I promise.” Annette said and leaned her head on Severus’ shoulder, her fingers slowly found the top of his hand and wrapped around it. “What was that second spell you used? I’ve never heard it before…”

“I…um…invented it.” Severus admitted and the Hufflepuff girl simply looked at him in awe.

“Severus, you must be some sort of genius! Have you told or shown Professor Slughorn yet?”

“No, no one is supposed to know about that spell, not any of them actually…”

“Then why did you use it on me?” the question slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself and she looked at her hand, the one that Severus had healed, still wrapped around her Potion Tutor’s own.

“Because...Annette, I care about you, I care about you very much in fact…” Severus admitted in a whisper, “I never want to see you hurt…” it pained him to realize that he had been the last one to hurt her, the last one to make her cry. “Annette, I am so sorry…”

The Hufflepuff girl shook her head, the bun came entirely loose then, the tie landing on Severus’ lap in and untidy heap. She quickly grabbed it, her cheeks heating with embarrassment when her fingers swept across the top of his, and put it into her satchel, packing up everything else that she had taken out of it. “It’s alright. Do you want to go up to Owlery and see if there is any word from your mother?”

“If you don’t mind, I would like that very much.” Severus said, he had already righted himself, his own messenger bag over his shoulder.

The unspoken feelings still hung between them, thick and choking, relentless. But they both ignored it, how could admitting help either of them now? The stairs creaked underneath their feet, and Annette kept herself close to the stone wall, trying to keep herself from bristling with anger because Severus had not made up his mind about who his heart would truly belong too, her or Lily Evans.

He had been in love with Lily since childhood and had help to discover the Wizarding World, while they had drifted apart, he and Annette had grown closer. Sure they had only been acquaintances, only having a few classes together when they were younger, but once Professor Slughorn had assigned Severus as Annette’s tutor, their acquaintanceship had become friendship, leading them into a relationship that neither of them felt ready to define.

The Owlery door opened with a heavy shove from the pair as they made their way inside, the ruffling of feathers and several hoots greeted them. Severus made his way to the back of the Owlery, where Slytherin House’s mailboxes were. He dug his key from out of the side pocket of his messenger bag and used it open up his mailbox. Inside were two letters one from his mother and another from his aunt.

Annette decided to check her own box, the ones for Hufflepuff were on the right sides, and she opened up her mailbox to find letters from her future sister-in-law, her mother and father, and from Madame Caretaker Laetitia Amant D'animaux at Saint Francis's Sanctuary for Neglected and Mistreated Magical Creatures. She took all three letters and sat down on a cushioned bench that was inside the Owlery beside Severus.

The Slytherin Potion Protégé was sitting with his mother’s letter in his ungloved hands, the knitted hand warmers shoved into one of the pockets of his robes. Truth be told he was almost too frightened to open it, instead with shaking hands, he handed it over to Annette.

The Hufflepuff girl undid the seal with the flick of her wand and took the letter out from its envelope, unfolding it gingerly.

_Dear Severus,_

_I am writing you to let you know that your father’s cancer is much worse than we were hoping it would be. Doctor Burdock has discovered that your father’s lung cancer is at stage three. This means that the cancer has spread, it has spread from the lungs to other nearby tissue or far away lymph nodes. Your father has stage 3B lung cancer, which means that he only has a five percent chance of living though five more years. He will be going through treatments of radiation and chemotherapy, I will keep you updated on his recovery…_

_Please know that your father loves you Severus. I miss you, we both do. Best of luck with your O.W.L.s See you when your classes are finished._

_All my love,_

_Mum_

The letter was littered with dried tear drop splatters and some of the words were smeared. He found that he was pained when he realized how much his mother loved the man that helped create her only son. He wished that she didn’t, he wished that would hate him, despise him, loath him as much as Severus did. Tobias beat Eileen, yelled and made her feel worthless. How could she still love the Muggle man after everything he had done to hurt her? He looked down to see that he crinkled the letter within his fist and that Annette was trying to gently release his strangling-like hold he had on the parchment. Severus slowly released it and watched as the letter fell in his lap, he opened up the letter from his Aunt with shaking fingers, while he struggled to remember to draw air into his lungs.

The letter had a few scraps of straw within it that smelled of sheep. His Aunt Calanthia must have still been in Ireland, he hoped that she would go and stay with his mother for a little while, so she would not be so alone.

_To my only and dearest nephew Severus,_

_I am sorry for what is happening with your father, I hope that his recovery is swift and painless. Leopold is doing well at Durmstrang_ _Institute, his strongest class is Charms so far. As for Margaret, she is getting better at knitting and helping me take care of the sheep. Do not worry about your mother, I will be there to visit the two of you once I am able. Be sure to take care of yourself, don’t get too consumed with your studies, your health is just as important._

_Hugs and a kiss (on the cheek),_

_Aunt Calanthia_

He could tell that his aunt was extremely angry more anything, the ink and quill she had used to write the letter had soaked through to the other side. His aunt was very pleased that his father was dying and somehow that made Severus angry with his mother’s sister. He knew that his father was indeed a cruel man, but his father worked himself to the bone at the mill, in order to keep a roof over his family’s head and food on the table. His father might not love his own son, but at least he loved his mother, or otherwise wouldn’t they be on the streets already or crammed into the cabin that his aunt lived in, on their sheep farm in County Kerry, Ireland?

Severus could feel the Calming Draught beginning to fade, its effects slipping away. His hands were shaking so violently now that the letter had fallen on to the feather-covered ground of the Owlery, he grabbed the strap of his satchel and pulled it closer toward him. Annette looked up from where she had been reading the letter from her parents.

“Severus, are you alright?” Annette set the letter down on the bench and knelt down beside the Slytherin boy as he struggled to get the bottle of the Calming Draught from out his messenger bag.

His words came out choked, soaked with the tears that were starting to blur his vision. “No, I’m not. I’m not alright at all.”

Annette embraced him tightly, feeling his tears starting to soak the sleeve of her robe just a little. It was odd for her to be the one comforting him, he was normally the one comforting her.

They stayed up in the Owlery until Severus had stopped crying. But he did not remove his face from where it was buried in the crook of Annette’s neck and shoulder, instead he lifted his face away just enough so they were touching nose to nose, and then he kissed her, both of their lips now damp with his tears.


	35. Chapter 35

Is this what love was supposed to taste like? Was it supposed to taste like confusion-filled salty tears mixed with the smells of seal wax bits that were now wedged underneath their fingernails? If Severus truly wanted comfort, then this was not the way to gain it. This way would only leave them both feeling hollow, it also would feel to Annette as if she had been used, just so Severus did not have deal with the situation that had fallen upon both him and his mother.

She broke the kiss as fast as she possibly could, it felt like ripping off a Band-Aid, painful with a burning sting afterwards. She wiped away his tear-stained cheeks with her hands, she would help him through the turmoil he was currently going through as his friend, she was not going to allow herself to be used by him, not now, or ever. His friendship was something that she had to come value most, even if he did not return her feelings.

“Severus…” his name came out in a whisper, the salty and wet taste of his tears still on her lips as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say.

“I’m sorry, Annette. I didn’t mean to…it was idiotic of me to…” He stumbled for to make his words coherent, but it did not work. Instead he let out a sigh that was soaked with guilt because he could not be there for his mother, and anger because his Aunt wanted his father to die, and in some part deep down he was angry at himself, because he thought that this illness would be his father’s redemption for hurting Eileen and his only child.

Annette picked up the vial that the Calming Draught was in and uncorked it, she cupped the glass container as if would shatter into a million pieces if she did not carry it as if it were an egg, with a look of concern on her face and in her hazel eyes she handed it to Severus. The Potions Protégé took a long drink from it before he realized the bottle was empty.

He looked down at it, as the draught began to take effect, as it coursed through his bloodstream. The realization struck him hard as if a Troll had decided to sit on him. He had become dependent on the potion, it had been the one thing keeping him from falling apart completely, the one liquid that had helped him to feel as if he had an ounce of dignity left, without the potion reigning him in, he would have broken a long time ago, way before this or he would have sought something stronger to quell away his fear, like Fire Whiskey.

The potion was something he could control, something he had master over, when now in actuality, the potion had become his own addiction, like Tobias was with smoking cigarettes or drowning his frustrations away with alcohol. He did not want to become like his father, not in the least. He did not want his crafting of potions to turn him into what his father had become -from smoking and being drunk off his ass- a monster.

He tucked the empty bottle away in a side pocket of his bag and before he could help himself, he was sitting next to Annette on the creaking floor of the Owlery, with his head resting on her shoulder. Slightly warmed wind breathed in from the hole in the roof, causing the owls to ruffle their feathers in annoyance at the disturbance. The Hufflepuff and Slytherin’s fingers were now intertwined, like they had been many times before, they curled into the sun beams that had streamed in, snuggled up, like cats, basking and absorbing it like flowers. He wished he had not shown such weakness in front of Annette, but for reasons he was finally understanding it made him feel better to know that the Hufflepuff girl was there. Confiding in her was much easier, then to try to get Lily to understand, what he was currently going through.

The news about his father’s condition still made him feel like he had gotten the wind knocked out of him, he glanced down at the letters from his mother and his aunt, they had both fluttered down to the disgusting floor where they were now coated in different owl feathers, he had crumpled them in his fist out of anger, but he lifted himself away from Annette for a moment to gather and clean the letter that his mother had written to him.

He knew that she was just in as much pain as he was, but he found it difficult to gather his dizzying thoughts into a letter that would make his mother feel as if she was not so alone. He carefully re-read what he could from his mother’s written words, and then gently folded it, so he could tuck it away in his Potions textbook, the fact that his mother was also struggling with what had been cast upon them, made him feel better, but also guilty because he found a pinch of happiness that him and his mother were sharing the same turmoil.

Severus had kissed Annette only because he wanted a distraction from this and using Annette to gain a sense of comfort in a form that was not in a family way or manner was only making him hurt her more, which he did not want to do, not anymore, not for another second. He was now disgusted with himself, it made him sick to stomach that he had been treating Annette in such a way, she deserved to be treated so much better then how he had been lately.

“I…Annette…I apologize…I keep hurting you…and it is all just to make myself feel better…” Severus said, feeling his own cheeks warm with embarrassment. “I shouldn’t be treating you as I have been, your friendship is something I hold very…it is important to me.”

“You said earlier that you cared about me…a lot…is that true or are you spouting nonsense?”

Severus scowled, anger took the place of his embarrassment. “Nonsense? No, I care about you…I know I have not shown it clearly…”

“Clearly?! Your so-called signs of affections have been nothing but mucky…confusing, disorienting…” Annette bit out in what could have been a slew of unintelligent absurdity in her panicked rush to get the sentences out, if Severus had not gotten to know her so well.

And now she was standing there with her fists clenched, in front of him, practically seething as her brain remembered that she needed to get oxygen in order to live, because she had apparently forgotten how to breathe when she went off on him like an angry Doxy. Was she tired, mentally worn out waiting for him to make choice? Even when he had kissed the Hufflepuff moments before, she was not angry with him or sad, she simply wiped away the tears that had decided to dry against his cheeks away, not with a handkerchief, but with her hands. He took his hands from where they were resting in his lap and used them to wrap around the sleeves of Annette’s uniform and pull her toward him, until she fell into his lap, he tried not to grunt or wince when she practically collapsed on top of him, he did not mean to yank her down with so much force.

“I don’t mean to keep hurting you, Annette…”

She let out a sigh that was drenched in frustration and perhaps of drop of leftover anger, “I know. It’s okay…I get it…I’ll be okay…”

He reached out to touch his fingers to her cheek, but the Hufflepuff recoiled as if he was coated in poison, and continued to put her anger and hurt feelings into words. “I don’t want to discuss this anymore with you…what this is…what we are now…to each other…this isn’t the right time or the place, not until we are both in a better state of mind.”

The Slytherin boy quickly changed the subject to something he knew they could both agree on and handle at that moment, “Do you want help studying for Potions?”

The Hufflepuff does not mind the change of subject, in fact she loves the sense of normalcy. “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Not in the least.” Severus replied as she righted herself from where she had been sitting in his lap in a very odd position, kind of like she was being carried bridal style when out of nowhere a foreign pain had caused the Slytherin boy to drop to his knees, that was what it looked like moments before, the Hufflepuff girl made her way back to where her school supplies lay abandoned and dug her flashcards out of her tote bag.

“Grill me until my brain dribbles out of my ear, Potions Master!” Annette exclaimed with fake enthusiasm, if she was lucky all of the studying would make the facts and ingredients stick in her mind like glue until her Potions O.W.L. was over.

“I am not Potions Master yet, Annette.” Severus said as he shuffled her deck of flashcards.

“Fine.” Annette sighed, “If you could choice right now what would rather be Master of Potions or Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

“Dark Arts, but having control over both subjects is what I actually want.”

“You already have them concurred, Severus.” Annette said with a soft smile spreading across her face.

Annette made her way carefully down the steps that lead to the Owlery and back to solid ground, she could still taste Severus’ tears on her lips as she watched him go on ahead of her to catch-up withBarty Crouch Junior and the rest of the gang from his House, that he hung out with when he was not with the timid Hufflepuff.

Her heart had skipped a thump when he had surprised her with such a desperate act, it had been so unlike him that it had caught her completely off-guard, that need that had drawn Severus to practically draw the life from her was a sense of heightened bliss and shame that Annette knew she would never forget, no matter how deeply she wanted to dig and dispose of the memory and the feelings that would resurface.

She had debated on whether or not to go hole herself up in the library in her favorite section or to go take her anger and the achy pain of her heartbreak out on the punching bag hanging from the ceiling of the unused classroom. Instead of choosing either of her alternatives, Annette cannot help but notice Jenna sitting on the stone steps leading into the Great Hall from the courtyard, she is sitting beside Pandora. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Prefects both had their hair pulled back from their faces in mermaid tail braids, they were both looking at their agendas and timetables, Annette plopped down in between them, resting her satchel on her feet.

“You look miserable, Nettie.” Pandora commented as she briefly glanced up from her agenda and timetable.

“Severus kissed me…” Annette said, she looked up to see that Jenna and Pandora were staring at us with gaped mouths before the curly Irish redhead finally was able to speak again.

“What kind of kiss was it? A family kiss or more like an Oh-La-La lover kiss?”

“It was more along the lines of he is going through a ton of miserable family shit, so he needed a way to gain comfort in some way or another.” Annette said, while Pandora had decided that she was going to braid Annette’s hair into a mermaid tail as well.

Jenna hugged her best friend, resting her chin on her fellow Hufflepuff’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, _A stór_.”

“I have decided that until O.W.L.s are over, Severus and I are going to just be friends.” She said it aloud more to make the words truer than how she actually felt at the moment.

While they were making up a study group schedule for Charms and Transfiguration, Annette found her mind wandering back to that kiss with Severus up in the Owlery and how she wished that she was back in his arms, snuggled into his neck and whispering while giving him kisses, “I love you…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 36 will be posted on Friday, A stór is an Irish Gaelic term of endearment between friends or for a child. Please leave a comment or kudos, or both! :)  
> -little sloth


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said, here is chapter 36. Chapter 37 will be posted on Tuesday (April 17th), and chapter 38 will be posted on Saturday (April 21st)! Please, leave a comment or a kudos!
> 
> -little sloth

Eileen laid a gentle hand on her bulging stomach, on her growing baby. When she told Tobias last night over their dinner of split pea soup with smoked ham, he nearly choked on a piece of the honey-cured delicacy, his eyes grew wide in shock and horror.

“A-Another child? Eileen, we can’t afford another freak offspring!” He stood up so abruptly that the chair toppled over, his face was beginning to turn red. “With these medical bills…” he knocked over his bowl of soup as its contents were splashed on to the floor, and the soup bowl shattered into a million pieces. The father of Severus and the unborn child found himself bracing the table to keep himself upright.

Fear became lodged in his throat, and the jealousy and anger began to cloud his vision. What would be wrong with a non-magical child? What was the word that Eileen’s mother had used, when she came to visit her grandson…Muggle? Was it such an awful thing for Tobias to be? And with all the medical bills coming back in a crisp white envelope with letters all in capitals, and soaked in red dry, the same word over and over: Overdue. The health insurance that Tobias received from work barely covered the bills that were consuming their meager earnings like monsters. Eileen was already nearly four months along…and even if he told her to get rid of the child through adoption or other methods, he know that she would not listen, instead she would raise the child with or without him.

The world still swam in front of him as if he was deep under the water and losing oxygen while he saw the sun floating above him. Agonizing, choking, and hacking coughs that left him struggling to draw air into his lungs, the coughing turned into blood spatter, as he struggled to keep himself upright. Before he could stop her, Eileen was out of her chair and wiping Tobias’s face with a wet cloth that she must have grabbed from where it had been hanging halfway out of the sink.

The Muggle man was not pleased with the fact that his wife had to dote on him as if he was another child she was trying to raise. The chemo treatments were painful and left him feeling decrepit and as if his insides were trying to find their way out of his body by mouth, via puking all over the floor and sometimes unable to reach the empty trash bin that had been left beside the bed. Even with cancer eating him like a seven course meal, he still went to work and exhausted himself to the bone, making sure that his paycheck was enough to split for weekly necessary items (food, clothing, shelter) and to put some aside to transfer into his and Eileen joint savings account, even though his wife now had a place of employment as well, it was better to be safe than sorry.

It took nearly a month of chemotherapy treatments before Tobias started to lose his hair, and not just on his head, he began losing his eyebrow hair and his eye lashes, his weight diminished rabidly, he felt like a skeleton trying to wear somebody else’s clothes and body, and when he looked at himself in the mirror, he struggled not to let his waves of emotion drowned him. He was so thin and so tired all the time, he just knew one night he could go to bed and probably never wake again. One of his coworkers asked him once over a lunch break, which was worse drowning or being burned alive? It was supposed to be a joke, a brain teaser, a very morbid one at that. Tobias Snape looked at the younger man straight in his eyes and stated, “I would rather die while I was asleep…I heard that is the most peaceful way to go…”

He was a dying man practically stepping on to the welcome mat of Death’s door. The feeling was so close he could practically feel the Grim Reaper’s scythe against the flesh of his neck, digging ever so slowly.

“Tobias…” Eileen’s voice came out in a terrified whisper as she helped him get to bed.

His weak bone-thinned hand shook violently as he rested it on Eileen’s baby bump. He could not tell if the queasy ache in his stomach from the fear of having a second child or from the treatments. He knew that when this child was born, he would never get to meet him or her. He would simply be someone that the child would have no memories of, only see him in photographs that were in the photo album Eileen kept in the compartment drawer of their coffee table. The names such as Father, Dad, and Daddy would be nothing but a series of empty words. Ones that his second son or maybe his first daughter would never have to say or use.

And that was painful, that what was almost as the agonizing feeling of being burned with the chemicals and other medications that were trying to steal him away from his family. Was this what Karma was? Was he being punished for his jealousy and his rage? Was he being sentenced without a trial or jury? If this was Karma, it was kicking him to the curb like a garbage bin, and there was a sickening knot in his stomach, he knew he deserved this.

During his chemotherapy treatment, Eileen made her way to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Tobias wanted to make sure that his wife and unborn child were healthy. Eileen would have rather have gone to Saint Mungo’s for a check-in with her familiar and local Medi-Witches, but Tobias did not want to even listen to her when it came to the magical world or how Magic could actually be better than the contraptions and the pills that Muggles used.

She was glad that it was finally warm enough for her to be able to wear her summer maternity dresses, she had picked out a simple amaranth pink with an unbuttoned white as snow light sweater. She had left her husband to get his body pumped with cytotoxic and other drugs, and with one of his favorite novels to keep him occupied, _My Name is Asher Lev_. She had even found the time during her secretarial duties to crochet him a beanie to keep his smooth and slightly bony head warm. She had also made sure to bring a blanket from home, because he thought the ones that the hospital provided were scratchy and thin. Any little things she could do make Tobias as comfortable as possible, it made her feel awful that she could not just use Magic to fix him, but he wanted to fight this battle with his own strength, so Eileen decided to stick by him, true to him until the very end.

This illness that had taken control of her husband’s life had somehow damped his need to fight change or unfamiliar things. He no longer hit her or became dangerously and deadly violent. His temper still had a very short fuse but the chemotherapy made him so tired, that he no longer had the strength to scream at her very much anymore. Perhaps this form of lung cancer had been a blessing instead of a curse?

She sat down among other waiting expecting mothers. The room was washed white, almost too clean, nearly a blinding white. The chairs were black with white poppies decorating them, very comfortable, it allowed Eileen to almost drop her guard and relax. Almost, she quickly grabbed her beaten and worn soft leather purse, it had a beaded bone made out of pearl-like beads and a gentle green for the wand, and they were crossed like an X. It had been a birthday present from one of her Hogwarts-day friends way back when they were both young teenage Witches.

Her wand was tucked away in an opened seam that could be snapped closed, she kept it close at all times. It made her feel safe to have the magic channeling object so near, because if she didn’t, she would feel terribly lost.

She also felt old, her experience as a mother was so far fifteen years and counting, was she too old to be doing this one more time? Late night feedings, barely getting a wink or a blink of sleep for months, struggling to pretend that decaffeinated coffee could actually keep her awake long enough to get through work and household chores. Her heart ached a little at the thought of her second child growing up without a father, only having the nightmarish memories that Severus could conjure in second. Eileen did not want her second child to know what a monster Tobias had been. The fact that he would never see the baby after it was born, brought tears welling up to her eyes.

She grabbed at the travel tissues she had stuffed into her purse before their neighbor from across the street, Frederick, had given them a ride to the hospital and said that to be would come back once their appointments were over, even though Eileen had tried to tell him that they would simply take the bus home, but the older gentlemen, father of four, with twin grandchildren on the way, would not hear of it. “A mother-to-be and a dying man…’ That was how the silver haired man look at them, it was clear in his eyes that he pitied them. And that pity made Eileen angry, she did not need pity, what her and Tobias needed right now the most was support, a system of people that could help them through this.

Eileen wanted to tell Severus so badly that he was going to be a big brother, but telling him in a letter felt too impersonal. She hated that she had to tell her son everything that was going on in ink on parchment, he would reply, but the words that he wrote, she was not sure if that was actually how he felt or if he was lying just to make her feel better. She looked down at her fingernails that were either going to be painted later either blue or pink with little yellow duckies.

One of the other secretaries from the Ministry had offered to do it for her, saying that just because Eileen was going to be a mother again, did not mean that she had to give up everything, she could afford to go out to coffee with her friends until the baby came. They usually all met in the lounge area for tea and biscuits, it felt wonderful to have friends to talk to or to laugh with over absurd or just the ways of everyday life.

When it came to clearing out one of the unused rooms upstairs, it had taken Eileen a good four hours to clean it up and make it proper enough for a new baby. The floors and walls were washed, the curtains that had so many holes in them they looked like Swiss cheese were thrown away immediately, and she replaced them with white curtains that had mantis green vines of ivy decorated upon them. The walls were painted a light lavender, the crib that had once been used by Severus was reassembled with Tobias’s handy work and put into the spare room, which now would be where their second child would sleep and grow. He had even fixed up the old rocking chair that Eileen had used while holding Severus to gentle sooth him into sleep with lullabies or stories about dragons and other mythical creatures.

Sometimes Eileen swore that Tobias left for work smiling just a little, at least it had shown in his dark eyes, a spark was being brought back to life. The sound of her name being called aroused Eileen from day dreaming as she followed the nurse wearing blue scrubs to the room for an ultrasound. Today she would get find out if her child was going to be either another son or perhaps it would be their very first daughter.

After she had rubbed the gooey jell off her stomach with a rough towel, Eileen tucked the ultrasound picture into her purse and trying desperately to hide her joy made her way back to her Muggle husband. When she returned to the cancer ward, she found Tobias dozing on the bed with the book he had been reading turned upside down and tent-like, so he would not lose his place, he was snoring but it was a soft snore, as if his body was begging him to find some sort of comfort while he was getting chemicals poured into him via IV.

Eileen gently took Tobais’ hand in her own and waited until his eyes were open and alert and his face was less sleepy looking. “Tobias, we’re going to be having a little girl…”

Tobias frowned, deep in thought before he said, “Don’t give her my surname, and instead give her your maiden one…”

Eileen looked at him with stunned silence, she squeezed his hand gently, “Are you sure?”

“I want our daughter to have a good life…” he whispered as tears welled up in his eyes, either from the pain or from guilt, Eileen could not tell.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER! I do not condone self-harm, or the act of/ attempting of suicide, I have mental illnesses myself, and I know that when I am being dragged down into the murky depths of wanting to end my life, that I need help, so I seek it out when it gets to be too much. If this chapter is too much of a trigger for some of my readers, please do not read it! Chapter 38 will be posted on Saturday.

It had happened the week before classes were officially over and the dreaded Ordinary Wizarding Level exams were going to begin. He had not planned on it…not entirely…but the thought, the plan of doing it, had been echoing and whispering in the back of his mind since the beginning of Fifth Year, he had never thought that he would actually go through with it...not since he had met Annette…but without the Calming Draught to keep him held together, he was slowly losing his grip, the control on his very own life. He felt as if he had been shattered into a thousand pieces and was being held together by strands of silk from a spider. Everything felt like it was too much…his father dying, his mother distraught…the weight of the importance of getting top marks in his Ordinary Wizarding Level exams…his overwhelming feelings for Annette and the lingering ones he still clung too that made his infatuation with Lily much more difficult to break away from. It was all just too much of life at once, it felt as if he had been crushed under the debris from a landslide or an earthquake. But this, his life and how he was meant to live or die was still his choice, and his choice right now was too end it all, if the last sense that he felt was agonizing pain then so be it.

"You're making a mistake you know..." Moaning Myrtle said while she floated above the sink, where Severus was leaning against the stark white porcelain rolling up the sleeves of his uniform and undershirt. "I do not want you groaning in my bathroom about it for the next part of eternity..." his long and oily raven hair drifted down into the sink as he leaned forward into it, blood beginning to pool out at a slow trickle as it became soaked into the ends of his hair.

Severus glared at her icily, "Don't worry, I won't be, if I do end up haunting somebody, it will be my father..." He rested his wand against the pale white skin of his arm, near the wrist. Out of all the times he had come into this bathroom to get away from James and Sirius and today of all days was when Moaning Myrtle decided to flood the bathroom to such an extreme that it went out into the hallway.

The cut on his wrist happened slowly with the severing charm, _Diffindo_ , and it was agonizing, but at least his life and his death was something he had control over.

Out in the hall, Remus Lupin sighed as he suddenly stepped from the dry, stone floors into a puddle. A puddle that was slowly starting to spread. The Prefect sighed hoisted his slightly too long cloak over his ankle. "Myrtle..." He sighed and trudged through the water to the abandoned bathroom Moaning Myrtle haunted. Pushing the door open he froze in surprise to see Severus Snape leaning over one of the sinks. "What are you doing in here?”

"Shit..." Severus hissed, but he did not look up at Remus, if he could just make the cuts deeper, it would have been over by now, blood was already dripping down one of his arms and onto the white of sink, colouring it red with drops. The Slytherin tried to ignore the fact that the agony was making tears well up and blur his vision, the salty-taste of the liquid dropped on to his lip, mixing with the blood that was welling up on his bottom lip, because he was biting on it so hard, so that he would not scream or let out the slightest whimper.

"Snape..." Remus started again, his frown deepening when the Slytherin did not turn around. It didn't take very much to see that something was very wrong. Dropping his bag into the puddle of water, the Prefect quickly splashed through the water and gasped as he saw the red pouring into the sink. "What are you doing?!" Without thinking he whipped out his wand, pulling the Slytherin's arm towards him and drew his wand backwards across the gash there, murmuring a spell before Severus could stop him.

"What the hell gives you the right?" Severus growled, his eyes hardened with anger and a mixture of disappointment. He still held his own wand, his hands shaking with fury. "Why must you be so damn nosy, Lupin?"

The Gryffindor barely glanced at him, glaring right back as he kept his wand aimed at Severus' pale skin. " _Tergeo_." Slowly, the blood began to clean itself away and Remus took half a step back, finally looking Severus in the face. "Nothing gives me the 'right'. I'm just stopping you from doing something that's stupid, I don't need a right to do that."

Severus sneered at him and aimed his wand at himself, " _ Sectumsempra _ ..." his shirt and uniform ripped into shreds, large and deep gashes formed on his arms and chest, the blood flowing from the wounds began to turn the water around them pink. Severus staggered back until his body sunk against a wall and collapsed, a choking triumphant laugh escaped him, the bathroom and Remus becoming blurry as his vision began to fade, what was left of his clothes and body becoming soaked with the water coming from out of the wrecked plumbing, it was cold, like ice, but for some odd reason it was soothing to the Fifth-Year Slytherin.

Remus was taken aback and froze momentarily in shock, he moved at the same moment Myrtle let out a high pitched, piercing scream that echoed loudly all around them. Not only had Remus never seen that spell before but the damage it caused was alarming. His hands shook and a quiet growl was ripped from his throat as he dropped to his knees in the water beside Snape. Taking a steadying breath as he tried to repair the damage, drawing his wand slowly backwards over the wounds as he'd done before and muttering all the healing spells he could think of under his breath.

There was a thundering of footsteps in the hall and then splashing as someone ran into the bathroom. Minerva McGonagall gasped, clasping a hand to her heart briefly before running to the side of the two students, she had just been finishing up a lecture with a classroom of Second Year students of her own House and that which Professor Slughorn watched over, when the dreadful and hallow echoing screams of the long-dead Phantom girl of Ravenclaw alerted her that was something was terribly wrong and that students were in danger. Mind you, the only words she could make from Myrtle Warren’s wails was, “There is so much blood! It’s everywhere!”

Pushing Remus out of the way as she quickly snapped, "What happened here?" before beginning to draw her wand in circles over the Slytherin's chest, closing the wounds carefully.

Remus was lost for words and looked between Snape and McGonagall, wondering if he should actually tell the truth. "...I-I don't know..."

The Transfiguration Professor was obliviously not going to get answers from the young Slytherin boy, who still had not regained consciousness. She sighed and looked at Remus, making her question clear and to the point. "Did you have anything to do with this? Was he doing anything to harm himself before you came in?"

Remus bit his lip, suddenly looking down at the blood over his hands and shuddering involuntarily. He was still clutching his wand as he turned back to his Head of House, clearing hoping she didn't think he'd been responsible for the scene. "I didn't touch him. I was trying to stop him doing it, Professor. I promise."

"Mister Lupin, I need to remain calm and go get his Professor Slughorn and the Headmaster, I will meet all of you in the Hospital Wing..." Minerva quickly used a levitation charm on Severus before conjuring up a makeshift gurney that looked as if it was from the Muggle World Wars before she hurriedly made her way toward where Madame Pomfrey was waiting in the hall.

The Prefect quickly tucked his wand away and paused only long enough to wash the blood off his hands before hurrying out of the bathroom, picking up his soaked bag on the way. He could hardly believe what he'd just caught Severus Snape trying to do and the thought made him shudder as he hurried down towards the dungeons to fetch Professor Slughorn.

The class that Remus had interrupted was filled with Fifth-Year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The potion that was on the board was Doxycide and the boys in the group were grumbling about the fact that the potion was only for women to learn and not men. Earning glares and bursts of anger from girls of both Houses. 

“Sexist pig!” Pandora, the Fifth-Year Prefect of Ravenclaw House shouted, nearly getting up from where she was seated beside Annette. 

The copper-haired Hufflepuff remained silent as she continued to carefully write down the instructions for the Potion before looking down at the ingredients nervously. 

"Now, now, that's no attitude to take, Mr-" Professor Slughorn looked up from the head of the classroom where he had been about to reprimand one of the boys as the dungeon door swung open and Remus Lupin slipped inside. 

The Prefect was slightly out of breath and looked around as several heads turned to stare at him. "Sorry to interrupt, Professor...Professor McGonagall sent me to fetch you..."

Annette glanced over her shoulder at Remus and raised her eyebrow, nearly cutting her own finger in the process as she was trying to dice a specific root for the Potion they were meant to be crafting. "It must be something serious if she sends you..." Professor Slughorn said, concern now on his face.

Remus couldn't help but glance briefly at the Hufflepuff girl who had just turned to face him. He looked away again quickly and hurried to the front of the classroom to the Professor's side. Lowering his voice as he explained as briefly as he could in front of a class full of students. "There's been an accident with Severus Snape, Professor. He's been taken to the hospital wing."

Professor Slughorn face grew grim before he cleared his throat and announced, "Class dismissed...please write me a full page on the side effects of Doxycide." Half the class looked relieved as they rushed out of the room, their belongings barely making it back inside their totes and shoulder bags, but Annette stayed behind while Pandora packed up their supplies.

Before Remus could leave with Professor Slughorn, Annette yanked him back by grabbing onto the collar of his robes, "What did Potter do now?" her face was masked with worry and anger.

Remus actually yelped as he staggered back a few steps, his collar pulling tight against his throat. He turned on the spot and stared at her as he pulled his collar and tie loose again. "Nothing." He sighed, trying to avoid giving away as much as he could. "James didn't do anything...neither did Sirius."

What happened to Severus?" Annette demanded as she slung her bag over shoulder, preparing to head to the Hospital Wing.

It was an easy enough conclusion to get to, even if she hadn't heard him. But Remus wasn't about to say exactly what he'd caught Severus trying to do, he wasn't even sure what kind of spell he'd managed to use. "There was an accident." He sighed and started to head towards the door. "He's okay, I think...I have to fetch the Headmaster."

Annette ran all the way to the Hospital Wing being stopped by the Head of Gryffindor as she saw Severus lying on one of the beds. "What happened?"

Professor McGonagall looked slightly surprised to see the Hufflepuff and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Miss. Negrescu, I was not expecting you so quickly-ah..." She looked over the Hufflepuff's shoulder as Slughorn came puffing in. "Horace...there's been an accident." She looked over her shoulder where Madam Pomfrey was muttering a range of spells over Severus' unconscious form.

"What spell was it?" Annette whispered her face turning pale. "Did he do this to himself?" She felt sick and her world was spinning, he wouldn't really leave her would he? Even though his skin was already pale, it looked unnatural now. Nearly grey, as if he was dead.

"I've never seen this before." Madam Pomfrey said from the bedside as Slughorn hurried over to look at his student's wounds. 

The Head of Gryffindor House looked down at the Hufflepuff and sighed. "I can't say for sure."

The bleeding might have stopped, but the wounds were not closing, and every time Madam Pomfrey paused to steady herself before she continued to heal Severus, the wounds began to bleed anew. Annette stumbled toward the bed where the teenage boy that she loved lay so close to be greeted by the Reaper. Her heart felt as if it was breaking, her own satchel hung heavily on her shoulder as it slouched off and landed sloppily beside the one that belonged to the Slytherin. She knelt down beside his bag, ignoring the fact that it was sopping wet and almost everything within it was soaked. She dug through his bag, until she found what she was looking for.

His Potions textbook now in her grasp, she flipped through the pages earnestly before she found what she needed. There it was written in Severus’ own hand, the counter-curse, the one that she needed to save him, the one that he had used on her hands. 

The Hufflepuff Fifth-Year took out her own wand from where it had been tucked in the inside pocket of her robes, close to her ribcage. It was a thin wooded rod with a slight curve to it. The wand had been made from birch, nearly nine inches long, but closer to eight and a half. The core of Annette’s wand was special, the magic channelling device had been made just for her after all. The core within it was that of a Kneazle whisker from the very creature that had been given birth to her beloved pet, Gilbert. But the whisker had to be intertwined with the hair from a Unicorn’s mane. In order to ensure that Annette’s spells that were cast would not backfire.

Nervously she looked down at the counter-curse and lifted her wand above Severus’ wounds. She remembered when Severus had done this to her hands, he had said it three times and sounded almost as if he was singing, so she did the same. She watched with widened eyes as his wounds began to knit closed. Minerva and Horace were watching her with what could have been stunned expressions, but Annette did not care about that, all she cared about was the fact that Severus was not going to be joining the dead.

With tears in her eyes she helped Madame Pomfrey apply a warmed paste of  Dittany, to keep the wounds from leaving scars. It was long after classes were over and dinner was being eaten in the Great Hall that Annette still found herself sitting on the floor beside Severus’ bed, that was until Madame Pomfrey realized that no matter how many times she told the younger Witch that Severus was going to be alright, that she was going to be just as stubborn and stay put. A chair had been brought for her to sit upon, but instead Annette gently and with much caution laid herself beside the Slytherin, laying her head softly on his chest, so she could hear his heart beating and the fall and rise of his chest as he breathed.

Lily Evans came rushing in during dinner, her face was just as pale as the Badger’s had been when she first saw the state that Severus was in, Annette had lifted her head away from where it had been, her face red with embarrassment. For once the Lioness had been lost for words, that was until with her own fingers touching her own lips gracefully to try to stop herself from sobbing that the redhead finally asked the question aloud that Annette had been trying to get the courage up to ask for hours now.

“Why would he-why did he try to kill himself?”

Annette’s olive green perhaps a tad hazel eyes met with Lily’s Evan strikingly natural green ones. “I don’t know…I wish I did…” 


	38. Chapter 38

This was one of those times were Severus wished he owned a pocket watch. Instead the dull and irritating drone of the hands moving on the clock on the wall was his only way of knowing how much longer this session was going to last.

He was sitting in an unused room or at least he thought it was, that was in the dungeons of Hogwarts. It was well-lit by the gas lamps that hung on the walls and the fireplace that crackled and burst with heat to keep the draft of the lower parts of the castle at bay. In his hands was a steel mug filled with valerian root tea, there were even candles lit that smelled of lavender, he was seated upon a rather worn couch with brown and dark green plaid fabric, sitting across from him was a man he had never seen on the school grounds before, but judging from the tin of floo powder that rested on the mantel of the fire place, this man was employed by the Headmaster.

He had dirty blonde hair that was shaved in a military style and a beard that was trimmed to perfection, there were a couple of strands of grey within his whiskers, but that did not seem to bother him. The man was older then Severus, but not by much, he looked as if he was in his early twenties. The robes that he wore were a dark midnight, plain without any sort of decoration. He tapped his hawk-feather quill against the leather-bound notebook he had opened on his lap. His chair was the same color as the couch, but the man held himself with such a composure that it made it seem as if the chair was made of thorns.

The man cleared his throat, but he did not glance at the clock on the wall, instead he focused his raindrop grey eyes on to the teenage Wizard in front of him. “My name is Vincent Fertig…Headmaster Dumbledore sent me a letter stating that you had tried to…commit suicide. I hope you understand how serious of an act you were trying to commit, Severus.”

Severus glared at him, his scowl only deepening. He did not like this man.

This Muggle-Born Wizard, who after graduating from Hogwarts out of Gryffindor House decided to get a degree in psychology at a Muggle university. And now he thought he could pick Severus’ mind, open him up like a door leading to a room of dark and frightening secrets. Doctor Vincent Fertig must have been very skilled at Legilimency, but the Slytherin Half-Blood was not going to allow him to see into mind so easily, the walls he had built to keep people out would not crumble with gentle nudges and prodding, this was going to be like poking an angered bear with a stick and not feeling when to stop, when one had the chance too.

“I don’t want to use the Legilimency Spell on you for our first session, Severus.” Fertig said glancing at his wand that was lying on the coffee table between them, Severus still had his own tucked into the sleeve of his robes. The psychologist’s notebook was not as empty as Severus had thought it would be, there were notes about him written on the pages already.

“Why did you want to die, Severus?”

“That is none of your business.” The sixteen-year-old spat out the words as if they were filled with poison. He did not like how familiar the doctor was using his first name. It made him uncomfortable, as if he was being interrogated for information he did not feel like giving.

“I know that O.W.L.s are a very stressful time for students...” the physiologist tried to start again, but Severus was not going to allow him to penetrate the walls of his mind with a battering ram of understanding and sympathy.

“I wasn’t worried about the exams.” Severus growled, but the answer that he gave had sent a smile to spread on the mental health counsel’s face.

“Now we are getting somewhere.”

Severus leaned back on to the couch, he could not help but remember the look on Annette’s face when he had woken up in the Hospital Wing. There were dried trails of tears on her cheeks, her olive green eyes were glistening with happiness, guilt, and anger. Her face was pinched, it was as if she could not decide to be angry with him or delighted that he was still alive.

The only word that came from her mouth was tear-soaked and the word came out crackling with needing a reason for why he felt the need to kill himself. “Why?”

He squeezed her hand and struggled to find the right words, struggled to find a way to explain himself, Annette continued to speak. “If I had lost you…I wouldn’t know what to do….Severus, if you had died, I would have fallen to pieces.”

“You s-saved me?” he questioned, his fingers were not entangled with hers.

Annette nodded, “I know you are going through a lot of bullshit right now…but I am here for you…damn it, Severus! If I had lost you my heart would be broken into a thousand tiny little slivers!” Now the Hufflepuff was angry and she had every right to be.

“I know…I’m sorry…”

“Just promise me, you will never to do this again! Please promise me, you’ll come talk to me first! Please, promise me.”

Annette was sobbing now, she had ended up lying down beside Severus when he had not yet regained consciousness. Now she was curled against him, wrapped around him and holding him tightly. He could barely hear her when she said, “I don’t want to lose you…”

He found himself combing his fingers through her hair, when he glanced up he could see Lily and Remus peering at him from the doorway their Prefect badges glistening.

“I told you he was going to be fine.” Remus muttered before he continued down the hall.

A smile filled with relief reached Lily’s eyes as she waved to him quickly before following after the Werewolf wearing Hogwarts’ House of Gryffindor robes, down to the room where the Prefect meeting was being held.

“I promise…” he whispered to Annette, planting a gentle kiss on her hair.

Doctor Fertig had been taking his sweet time jotting down notes while Severus remained silent, sipping his tea. “I have some answers in my notes, but I want to hear answers from you. Is there something going on at home that has you worried?”

“That isn’t any of your concern.” Severus bit out.

Doctor Fertig sighed Severus Snape was now two days out of the Hospital Wing and even when Fertig and spoken to him there, he still had not said a word about why he had tried to commit suicide, but the girl from Hufflepuff House, Annette always came into the Wing to eat meals before her classes or before she returned to her fellow Badgers.

Doctor Fertig had prescribed a number of Potions in order to help Severus recover. The list consisted of Blood-Replenishing Potion, Calming Draught, Draught of Peace, and Dreamless Sleep Potion. Severus stopping the Calming Draught completely cold turkey had ended up with disastrous results, a mental breakdown was one of them.

But the fact that the young Slytherin would not open up also made the Muggle-Born Wizard worry he watched with a disappointment as Severus abandoned their session and left the physiologist to ponder how he was going to proceed with their upcoming ones.

The door to Doctor Fertig’s temporary office slammed heavily behind him as Severus left the drafty familiarity of the dungeons and made his up the stairs and into the Great Hall. There were still some students lingering at their House tables eating breakfast while they studied. He recognized a couple from his own House, Dolores Umbridge (Head Girl and in her final year) and Regulus Black a Fourth Year.

Huddled in the middle of the Hufflepuff table between Pandora and Jenna was Annette, they both had mounds of books in front of them, sighing out of frustration Annette stood up and righted herself, nearly tripping over the bench when she caught eye of Severus looking at her.

“I’ll be right back…” she said hastily to her best friends, earning a scowl from Jenna.

“Well don’t doddle, we need to finish these growth charts for Professor Sprout and Professor Kettleburn.” Jenna reminded her, huffing her own curly fire-red hair out of her eyes.

Severus raised an eyebrow at that, he knew he had missed two days of final classes, but he hoped that whatever Annette was working on for their combined course she would be willing to clue him in.

He raised an eyebrow, “A growth chart?”

Annette quickly refocused her attention to Severus, “Oh… yes. Sorry, I gave you a copy of my notes, have you not had time to look them over?”

Severus shook his head, his satchel with all of books in it suddenly felt ten times as heavy, he hated feeling lost and isolated when it came to his studies and classwork. Annette grabbed his hand and led him over to where she was sitting, he promptly sat down across from her.

Noticing that Pandora was not working on the Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures combined course assignment, but was instead focused on her Study of Ancient Runes work, pouring over her notes and the book, _Advanced Rune Translation_ written by Yuri Blishen.

Annette rolled out her chart and swept her wand over it, murmuring a Charm to keep it flat and so that it would basically not role back together. “Professor Sprout had all of us plant daisy patches at the end of Fourth Year, remember?”

Severus scowled, “Unfortunately…” that was year that James Potter had thought it would be amusing to see the Slytherin being attacked by a gang of very angry garden gnomes after Sirius Black had dumped a whole bag of imported dragon dung on to them using the Levitation Charm while Professor Sprout had her back turned.

“Well, we also replanted the Fanged Geraniums in with them and now both Professor Sprout and Professor Kettleburn want to test our knowledge on Knarls and hedgehogs. We were each assigned a Knarl to raise in our group garden, right now we are measuring to see how fast the Knarls grow compared to the hedgehogs, our final grade is going to be based on whether we can tell the difference between the hedgehogs and Knarls just by a sight alone, the way we do this is by grabbing our own Knarl out of the field of daises that are growing in the Forbidden Forest and giving them a treat of milk honey and daisies in a bowl.”

“And the Fanged Geraniums?” Severus questioned looking over Annette’s growth chart, since he was her assigned partner in the class, their charts had to mirror.

“To keep out the gnomes…I helped Professor Sprout…um…encourage the Fanged Geraniums taste for them.” The Hufflepuff quickly cleared her throat when Severus looked at her with astonishment and perhaps a tad bit of horror. “We are also working on taking care of our Chinese Chomping Cabbages. Dennis has been doing quite well.”

With the bells so close to tolling for the start of morning classes, Annette gently squeezed Severus’ hand and hastily planted a kiss on his cheek. “If you want, we can meet outside by the lake for lunch…to discuss assignments…if you don’t mind?”

Severus smiled weakly. “Not at all.” He watched as Annette followed Jenna out of the Great Hall and toward their first class of the day, Muggle Studies.

The Fifth-Year Slytherin dug into his bag and took a sip out of a now uncorked bottle, he took a swallow of the Calming Draught and the Draught of Peace. His scowl only deepened when he brushed past a rather ragged looking Remus Lupin as he made his way toward his own morning class, Transfiguration.

The day seemed to drag at a sloth’s pace as Severus avoided looks of shock and other emotions portrayed through facial expressions of his peers and the jeering looks of James Potter and his friends. He had almost made it to the library, so he could be left in solitude when Lily Evans wrapped her arms Severus, nearly choking him with her embrace. She was leaving the library with Alice and two other Gryffindor girls.

“Will you see you in the commons, Lily.” Alice said over her shoulder as she left with the other two, to give the Half-Blood and the Muggle Born some privacy.

“I’m so glad you’re alright, Sev! How are you?” Lily stopped hugging him only for her green eyes to gleam at with relief and perhaps a speck of worry.

“I’m alright…Lily.” Severus responded, but was when the redheaded Lioness grabbed his hand that made the Half-Blood Wizard heart skip a beat and made him stop in his tracks.

“You could have talked to me…I would have listened, Sev.”

Severus let out a sigh and released Lily’s grip that she had on his hand, it might have been a light touch and gentle squeeze but to the Slytherin it felt like a vice, practically a noose. “You would have listened but you would not have understood, Lily. Not with your perfect life!” the words came out with so much anger attached to them that the redheaded Prefect of Gryffindor House looked frightened of him for a moment.

“My life isn’t perfect, Sev!” her fists were clenched at her sides now, her face pinched with sadness and anger toward the Half-Blood that had first introduced to the magical world.

“Someday you will learn that life isn’t fair. We aren’t children anymore, Lily.” Severus said coldly as he left her to stare after him with tears in her eyes, as they slowly slipped down her cheeks.

Severus found himself sitting in the section of the library that had become his and Annette’s sanctuary, it surprised him to find Gilbert the half-Kneazle pounced and proceeded to lie down in his lap as he finished a couple of overdue assignments that he needed to turn in after dinner in the Great Hall that evening. He was trying to ignore the guilt of how he had relinquished his anger on Lily, it was eating him alive, making his hands shake. He steeled himself as soon as he heard footsteps coming toward the table he was sitting at.

Moments later Annette joined the two as rain began to streak down the windows. “I will not to be taking Potions after our O.W.L.s are over.” She announced sitting in one of the armchairs, her bag resting beside Severus’.

That brought a smile to his face as he glanced up from his Transfiguration essay on the Doubling Charm, shoving the guilt away where it belonged, buried within him, not being shown to the outside world or the Hufflepuff he had grown fond of. “Afraid you’ll wound someone?”

Annette smiled and before Severus could stop her, she had a camera in her hands, a small one, not a large one like the Magical Law Enforcement or the photographers for the newspaper used. She snapped a photo of him and Gilbert, replying with. “I couldn’t help myself.” She put the camera away careful in a little pouch that buckled closed before she put it with the rest of supplies.

“How did it go with…” she stopped herself and struggled to find another way to say what she wanted an answer too. “Was the tea awful?” she started with instead, knowing that he had an appointment with on-owl letter alert physiologist before breakfast that morning.

“No…I did not want to tell him anything…”

“Severus…you probably should or otherwise they might send you to Saint Mungo’s.”

He left out a sigh then and dragged a hand through his limp and oily black hair to get it away from his face a little. “I have another…section with him tomorrow. I’ll answer his idiotic questions then.” He then brought his full attention to Annette. “If I make you so…sad and angry then why you do…why are you still with me?”

“I’m an idiot…” Annette responded automatically, before Severus could reprimand her, she continued. “I love you, Severus.”

He could only stare at her, his quill slipping out of his grasp. He knew this was not the first she had confessed this, the only word that would come out of his mouth was, “Why?”

“Because you are sad…and lonely. I want to be the one to make you happy.”

“A-Annette, you already do.” He whispered and before he could stop himself holding her to him and his chin resting on top of her copper hair as he planted a gentle kiss to it. “Thank you for saving me…”

“I always will.” Annette replied as she listened to Severus’ heart beat against her ear.

To Severus Snape holding Annette felt right, it felt perfect, as if he was whole. He wanted to tell her just the same, but he found himself afraid. If he could not love her the way he felt for Lily, then how would that be fair to the Badger, who had been with him, by his side through so much that year? He did not want to hurt Annette anymore, he couldn’t. He could not lose Lily and he could not lose Annette. What was he to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 39 will be posted on Wednesday (April 25th) and the final chapter, Chapter 40 will be posted on Sunday (April 29th), please leave a comment or kudos.   
> -little sloth


	39. Chapter 39

The Slytherin Half-Blood did what the Hufflepuff suggested and gave Doctor Fertig the information that he so desperately wanted.

He kept the details to a minimum and very vague. He told the on-floo network physiologist that his father was ill, not that he was dying from severe lung cancer and in the hospital going through agonizing chemotherapy. He told the former Gryffindor that his parents argued a lot, but did not tell him about the emotional and physical abuse that he and his mother sustained, or the fact that they were practically living in the gutter of society. Severus did not mention Lily Evans the Muggle-born Witch, who he cared for deeply nor did he talk about Annette, the Hufflepuff girl who had made him feel more alive and happier than he had ever been.

The section ended with an hour left to spare before supper in the Great Hall, he still had to take the Calming Draught, the Draught of Peace, and the Dreamless Sleep Potion. But at least this way he did not feel the need to end his own life anymore. With all of his absent work completed and handed in, the only thing left to do over the weekend was to study for the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams that started on Monday. All of the exams would be held in the Great Hall, they would be given with a time of two hours to complete, the only exam that would not be in the castle was the one for Herbology.

Severus pushed open one of the doors to the library and entered quietly, he sat down across from Annette, the Hufflepuff Fifth-Year seemed distraught and frustrated, piled next to her in a sideways heap was all of her class notes, neatly labeled for each subject. The Slytherin teenage boy set his satchel down on the seat beside him and took Annette’s trembling hands in his own. He covered them and gently held her hands within his until the shaking ceased. The Hufflepuff looked up at him, overwhelmed but grateful.

“Deep breaths.” He reminded her in a whisper, he then took her schedule and compared it to his own.

Monday they both had the same morning slot for History of Magic, then they had an hour break for lunch or for someone to have a mental meltdown before they had their Potions exam. On Tuesday, they had Charms in the morning and then a rather long break because their Astronomy O.W.L. had to be held at night. Wednesday, while Severus would be taking his Study of Ancient Runes Ordinary Wizarding Level exam right after breakfast, Annette would be having her Muggle Studies exam in a magical expanded classroom. On Thursday they would be having their Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology exam. Friday, their last and final exams would be Defense against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration. Over the weekend would be time for relaxation before the end of the year feast and the House Cup would be rewarded to which ever one had the most points.

“When do you start your internship with Saint Francis’s Sanctuary for Neglected and Mistreated Magical Creatures?”

Annette knew that Severus was trying to distract her, change the conversation to something that brought less panicky thoughts and the urge to puke out of sheer nervousness. “On June sixth, Sunday.”

Severus glanced at Annette’s agenda, it was Friday today, the twenty-first of May. No classes, just the agonizing sense of defeat that their weekend was going to be anything but relaxing.

Over the weekend he joined study groups that consisted of himself, Annette, the Ravenclaw Prefects Pandora and Xenophilius, the Prefects from Annette’s own House, Jenna and Gandalf, and a rather angry-pinched faced Lily Evans, along with a quiet and somewhat reluctant Remus Lupin. The squeaky, rather nervous, and somewhat awful at magic in any form, Peter Pettigrew also somehow had wiggled his way into the group as well.  

On Friday morning bright and early Severus nearly stumbled into Annette in the Common room of the Slytherin dormitories. He was already dressed properly in his school robes and uniform, his hair even though it was stringy and looked rather greasy had somehow been tamed enough to be manageable. Annette was sitting on the black leather couch wearing her school robes and uniform, her waist length copper hair had been twisted up into boho headband updo.

Oliver Parkinson, a fellow Fifth-Year and Slytherin was sitting in an armchair reading a copy of The Daily Prophet, he dragged his muddy brown colored eyes away from the article he was skimming to answer Severus’ unspoken question. “I found her pacing outside of our dungeon door like a lost pup.” His voice sounded like a rusty nail being scraped across sandpaper and his face mirrored that of a pug’s.

It was there final day of Ordinary Wizarding Level exams, and almost every morning before this day-if they could- they would meet each other to eat breakfast. It was almost as if they were dating, which Severus found that he liked very much. Normally, he would meet her outside the barrels of Hufflepuff House, but today she had come to get him instead.

Annette glared at Oliver Parkinson and followed Severus out of the Slytherin Common room and toward the Great Hall. They were not the only ones there, but it could easily be seen that the House Elves were waiting impatiently along the walls for the other students to finish eating, so they could arrange the room for the Defense Against the Dark Arts Ordinary Wizarding Level exam.

The Slytherin Half-Blood quickly put two slices of fried bread into a napkin and wrapped the pieces of toast in it, he trailed after Annette who was already sitting in the hall, two cups of pumpkin juice, along with butter and strawberry jam in tiny serving bowls. She must have used _accio_ to get what they still needed before the Great Hall doors closed and they could hear the anxious squeaky and wheezing muffled voices of the House Elves as they scrambled to prepare the room properly.

Severus sat down beside Annette and handed her the napkin-wrapped fried bread, so she could put the bread and jam on it with some butter knives she had borrowed before the House Elves of Hogwarts had a chance to shoo her out.

She ignored the glances of intrigue and the rumors that were being whispered by their peers. Jenna was sitting pretty close to the Werewolf in Hogwarts robes, but she was deep in conversation with Lily Evans.

Severus accidentally dozed on Annette’s shoulder while they waited for the doors to the Great Hall to reopen. When he felt the badger’s elbow digging lightly into his ribs, he awoke with a start and with the help of Annette’s butter yellow handkerchief, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and face. They crowded into the dining hall with their fellow students and picked a seat at a one of the hundreds of the tables that were all facing forward, parchment was already laid on each table with the words written on the top: Defense Against the Dark Arts-Ordinary Wizarding Exam. There were also Anti-Cheating quills and two bottles of corked ink at the tables as well. Rolled up and tied securely with twine tied in a neat bow were the questions they were supposed to answer for the exam.

Severus found a spot close to where the windows were streaming in sunlight, while Annette found a place more in the middle. A lot of their peers were busy trying to steady their nerves while they waited for the assigned adult to tell them when they could start.

Professor Flitwick was seated at a rather large table, on his right side was a mountainous stack of parchment, that all said: Charms-Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test. He cleared his throat and casted the Amplifying Charm on himself, so that way he would not have to waste his voice.

“You may begin the exam! Best of luck to all of you!”

The colors of the sun had dipped low enough to reach the high windows that were now bathing the room in the shades of chestnut, copper, and gold. The only noises throughout the Great Hall were the sounds of quills scratching words on to the surface of the parchment, and every once in a spare second, the sound of parchment rustling and crinkling as it readjusted by the exam taker.

The time to complete the exam rushed past them like a blur, as if sound and sight were passing them too fast. The sand in the hour glass that rested on the desk where Professor Flitwick was seated. (Red quill ink dying his long black beard tip at the end, when he went to replenish his writing utensil). The hourglass sand was nearly already trickled down to meet its snow-white salt colored kin.

Annette felt her grip tighten when the Charms Professor announced, “Five more minutes!” she sighed and dotted the final answer to the last question finished with a period, which bled out almost star-like in shape. With sore and tight fingers, she shook out her hands to get the blood flowing again.

With her heart thumping nervously and loudly in her ears, Annette glanced around the Great Hall in search of the Slytherin Half-Blood. She spotted Severus, his nose was close to the parchment he was writing on, it was practically getting dipped in the still wet ink. She dragged her green olive/almost hazel eyes back to her parchment and checked it for any errors, satisfied that were not any mistakes, she corked the bottle of ink she had used, the other one left unused. She slid the Anti-Cheating quill back into its designated stand and waited for Professor Flitwick to release them.

Professor Flitwick’s voice came out in a squeak that sounded as if someone had stepped on a dog’s chew toy, “Quills down please!” he pushed his glasses back as they began to slid down his nose, his eyes drifting to that of a Hufflepuff boy with medium chestnut brown hair and a lanky beanpole-like build, leaving his school robes sagging on him. “That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! _Accio!”_ A collection of over a hundred rolls of parchment sped toward the Charms Master’s outstretched and waiting arms. The oncoming rush of O.W.L. Charms tests knocked him off of his feet and onto the floor. A ripple of laughter from several students filled the Great Hall, even the bark-like laugh of Sirius Black.

Two students that Annette did not know by name, but were clearly Ravenclaws, helped Professor Flitwick to his feet by grapping him underneath his elbows. The poor Charms Master looked pale from the fear of nearly toppling over. “Thank you…thank you…”Once he was steady, he made an announcement among trying to gain his breath back, but at the moment he simply sounded like a dog, panting. “Very well, everybody, you’re free to go!”

Annette tried to get Severus’ attention but he was deeply engrossed with the parchment that had their test questions on it to notice. The Hufflepuff girl let out a sigh and found Jenna grabbing her hand as they weaved their way through the crowd of their peers to meet up with Lily Evans, Alice Pond (she was dating Frank Longbottom), Pandora and her friend, also from Ravenclaw, Denise.

They practically ran all the way to the Black Lake, pulling of their stuffy shoes and socks as they did, they cooled their feet in the shallows.

“Before I finish here, I am going to dive into this Lake and study the Merpeople!” Annette announced, Alice looked at her with wide eyes.

“Are you mad? They could kill you!” the Gryffindor girl was glancing with nervous eyes at the water.

“They won’t, I’ll be fine.” She reassured Alice as they were all seated down with their feet being washed over by the small waves that lapped onto the shore.

“Ugh…James Potter is staring at me…” Lily said in disgust.

“How you can you tell?” Denise questioned as glanced back up at the courtyard to see that the female Prefect of her House was correct, James Potter was in the courtyard with his gang of misfits, trying to make his hair look as messy as possible.

“I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach like I’m about to vomit.” Lily replied. “He thinks he is so much better than everyone else, it makes me sick. Especially since his favorite target is Sev.”

Annette stood up, her toes squishing into the sand, from what she could see Severus Snape was making his way back inside the castle when James and Sirius stopped him, Peter was giggling like a child in the candy store and Remus had hidden his face in a book, which one she could not tell. The Hufflepuff swung her satchel over her shoulder, her socks and shoes now jammed into a side pocket, her wand out from where it had been tucked within her robes.

“Lily, I don’t like the looks of this.” The Badger turned to the Lioness, indicating the scene that was unfolding ahead of them in the courtyard.

“Come on, we better go help Sev, even if he doesn’t want it.” Lily said in a matter-of-fact tone as she and Annette sprinted back up the courtyard.

There was already a crowd of students surrounding the unfair duel between Sirius Black and James Potter, two wands and Wizards against Severus, who was struggling to get his wand that was now ten feet away from him.

Annette’s sprint turned into a full run when she heard James say the spell, “ _Scourgify!”_ She tried to shove her way through the crowd, but she was unable to make a dent and tears began to fill her eyes as she watched in a mixture of fear and anger as pink bubbles began coming from Severus’ lips, foaming like he had rabies as he coughed and sputtered for air, choking on the magical suds.

Annette finally pushed her way through the crowd, but her heart beat happily into her chest when she saw that Lily had made it to where James and Sirius were standing. “Leave him ALONE!”

James hand went to his hair and the Badger could see that he was just about ready to untidy it some more just for the girl with the red hair that he had a major crush on since their Third Year. “Leave him alone.” Lily repeated, her green eyes were burning with anger and dislike for Prongs. “What’s he done to you?”

“Well,” James replied, trying to get his point across, so Lily would understand why he thought he had the right to make Severus’ life all the more miserable. “It’s more the fact that he _exists_ , if you know what I mean…”

Two of the Marauders laughed, Wormtail and Padfoot, the crowd following along. Save for Moony, who kept his face buried in his Transfiguration book. Lily was not laughing either, her face just darkened with more anger. Her voice came out cold when she spoke, “You think you’re funny,” her words like cold ice dangerously cracking. “But you’re just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him _alone.”_

Potter seemed shocked that his charming ways were not working on Lily Evans, then again the Pureblood Wizard loved a challenge, and he quickly tried to regain his ground. “I will if you go out with me, Evans,” the words came out quickly, hoping that if he said it quickly enough she would finally say yes. “Go on…Go out with me, and I will never lay another hand on old Snivelly again.”

Annette had finally pushed her way through the crowd, she could see that the Impediment Jinx that Potter must have used on Snape was wearing off, he crawled toward his wand, still spitting and gagging on soapsuds.

“I wouldn’t go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid.” Lily answered Potter’s deal with the answer he did not want.

“Bad luck, Prongs.” Sirius said briskly, the Black sheep turned back to Snape. “OY!”

Snape had his wand out and without saying a word, a slash mark appeared on James’ face after a flash of light, splattering blood on to his face like freckles and coloring his robes like rain drops.

Another wordless spell countered the one Severus had used, there was another flash of light that was almost blinding, once again no words were spoken aloud. Now Severus hung upside down in the air, his robes now covering the upper half of his body, his skinny and pallid legs were revealed along with his grey and aging underwear.

Annette’s olive green eyes fell onto Lily’s face, the redhead was now furious but there was a twitch on her face that almost looked like a smile. The rest of the gathered crowd was cheering, Remus should have been doing something too, right? Or was the Werewolf boy of Hogwarts really so frightened of being found out, of losing his friends?

“Let him down!” Lily demanded.

James seemed to happily oblige with Lily’s request “Certainly.”, with a jerk of his wand Severus fell to a heap on the ground and Annette wanted to go to him and help him jinx and curse the Marauders until they were either in the Hospital Wing or Saint Mungo’s. The Badger could tell that the Potions Protégé pride was wounded, Lily just could not help saving him every time Severus was in trouble that she thought he could not get out of.

Severus’ mobility did not last long when he aimed his wand at James again, but Potter’s guard dog, Sirius kept Severus from regaining what was left as of his shattered dignity. “ _Petrificus Totalus!”_ The Slytherin boy with long greasy black hair had keeled over and was once again on the ground, he was as rigid as a plank of wood, like a statue.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Lily shouted, her own wand was out now. James and Sirius eyed her and her wand warily, unsure of what to do now.

“Aww, Evans, don’t make me hex you.” The words that came out of James’ mouth were full of sincerity.

“Take the curse off of him then!”

Annette wished that her heart would not ache each time Lily stood up for Severus, he knew that he hated when she did it, but she hoped that when she did it herself, Severus did not feel the same way he did when Lily Evans did it.

With a deep sigh James turned and the counter curse could hardly be heard when he said it. “There you go,” he said, as the Half-Blood Slytherin struggled to his feet again, “you’re lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-”

Severus’ dark eyes were filled with his shattered dignity, the fact that he was saved by a Muggleborn, by a girl, was more than he could handle. Everything had mounted to a point where he could not think before he spoke the words he would regret saying for a very long time. “I don’t need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!”

Lily blinked, hiding the hurt and anger. “Fine,” as she spoke the words came out coolly. “I won’t bother in the future. And I’d wash your pants if I were you, _Snivellus.”_

Annette was stunned she could not believe that Severus would call Lily such a name, and him being so cruel was what it took for her to stop defending him from the bullying that was brought upon him by James Potter and his mischief makers.

“Apologize to Evans!” James roared angrily, his wand now pointed at Severus with a threatening glare in his eyes.

“I don’t want _you_ to make him apologize,” Lily shouted her hands now balled into fists as she turned to give her full attention to James Potter. “You’re as bad as he is!”

“What?” James yelped in shock, his eyes wide. “I would NEVER call you a- you-know-what!”

Lily fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Messing your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can-I’m surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK.” She turned on her heel and hurried away, fuming.

“Evans!” James shouted after her, “Hey, EVANS!”

Lily did not look back, she continued on her way back inside the castle.

“What was with her?” James asked, trying to seem as if the question he was asking was not that big of deal at all.

“Reading between the lines, I’d say she thinks you’re a bit conceited, mate.” The Black sheep answered.

“Right,” James said softly and Annette knew that with a sickening twist of her stomach, who the big-headed idiot was going to take his anger out on. “Right…” with aa flick of his wand Severus was hanging upside down in the air again. “Who wants to see me take off Snivelly’s pants?”

Annette’s own wand was clutched tightly in hand as she tried not look at the fact that Severus’ underwear was beginning to slide off. “ _Oppugno Avis_!” canaries flew out of the tip of her wand attacking James, Sirius, and the cheering crowd. Stepping out further Annette helped Severus to his feet once the spell James had cast on him wore off.

Severus glared at her, but it did not seem as if he was that angry with her as she thought he would be. She watched with tears swimming her eyes as Severus disappeared into the castle, obviously going after Lily to try to make things right again, to apologize for calling her such an awful word.

After their Transfiguration O.W.L. in the Great Hall, Annette walked briskly to the barrels that lead to the Hufflepuff Commons. Once there she sat down on one of the couches, her satchel as it sunk to the floor spilled some of its contents on to the carpet, but she was too emotionally and mentally worn out to bother gathering her belongings back into the bag. It was later after the wave of relaxation and excitement drowned the entire student body that the parties began.

Annette not feeling in a very festive mood snuck out when food and drinks were being brought in by the House Elves, as she went past the kitchen she noticed Peter Pettigrew trying to sneak out of the kitchen with a bottle of Fire Whiskey. Annette smiled just a little and silently used _accio_ to get the Fire Whiskey in her own grasp.

Alice Brown had joined Jenna and Pandora at the party that was being held in Hufflepuff House. She looked annoyed and when she was asked why, she said that Severus had been sitting outside of the portrait of the Fat Lady waiting for Lily to come out, so he could talk to her, he even threatened to spend the night sleeping outside of the Gryffindor entrance, at least that was what Mary had told them. Alice explained that when she left Lily and Severus were indeed talking, according to the Lioness, Severus sounded remorseful and pleading. While Lily was stubborn and did not want to hear any of what “Snivellus” wanted to say to her.

Now Annette was waiting for Severus on the steps that led to the Slytherin Dungeon. She had opened the bottle of Fire Whiskey and sniffed it. The brand was Blishen’s and must have been kept for the professors to drink after a year of teaching and grading final exams. The Badger carefully tipped the bottle just a little, so she could a get a sip into her mouth. When she swallowed it, it burned her throat and as it trickled down it made her body feel warm, as if she was sitting in front of fire. She leaned her head back, the walls feeling cooled and soothing, she lifted her eyes to meet the owner of the footsteps, who was approaching her.

Severus looked at her a spark of happiness in his dark eyes, which were clouded with guilt and anger, mostly at himself. “Annette, were you waiting for me?”

She nodded and took a bigger swig of the Fire Whiskey, wincing slightly as it smoldered her mouth. “I thought you might need a friend…and I _found_ this for us to share.” She held up the bottle for him to be able to see it by the torchlight.

“Where did you get that?”

“The rat of Potter’s stupid gang was trying to sneak it out of the kitchen, I nicked it from him.”

Severus smiled just a little, “I would enjoy your company.”

Their footsteps echoed in the empty hall, Severus had taken the bottle from Annette and chugged down a rather large swallow of Fire Whiskey, which made his face screw up into a painting of surprise and then somewhat of dislike. Annette laughed so hard that she snorted just a little, and her hand found Severus’, entangling their fingers.

The Slytherin House door opened when Severus said in a slightly slurred manner. “ _Retorta.”_

The Common room was filled with the same loud commotion as the other three Houses. A couple of drunk Fifth-Years, Mulciber and Avery whooped and hollered when they saw that their fellow Nearly-Death Eater was with a Witch. “Would you look that Severus is going to get fucked!”

Annette’s face burned deep crimson as Severus only scoffed and rolled his eyes, they entered the dormitory where he slept. Annette nervously sat on his bed and took a long chug from the bottle before remembering to slow down. She set the bottle down as carefully as she could, the room was spinning a little and she felt a smile forming as she laid back down on the dark green comforter, her copper-colored hair spread up and around her head, a tad bit static-clingy. Severus joined her, his long and slender fingers gently gliding across her cheeks.

“How do you feel?” she whispered, as Severus sat up slightly and with his wand in hand, he began to cast spells so they would have more privacy. First, he casted _Muffliato,_ and then _Quietus._

“Brave,” he replied, “and stupid.”

Annette raised an eyebrow in confusion and Severus continued. “I knew that my friendship with Lily was over, I just wish I would not have called her…what I did.”

Annette gently squeezed his hand. “I’m here for you.”

“You have been, no matter what the situation is, and I want to thank you for that.”

And then he kissed her, gently and loving. It was not like the desperate comfort-seeking kiss he had given her in the Owlery, nor was it like the one she had given to him on the Hogwarts Express when they were heading home for Christmas holiday.

“I don’t want to lose you.” Severus said and kissed her once more, but this time he was practically leaning over her, one hand knotted with her own fingers, the other cupping the back of her head.

“You won’t.” Annette breathed as she somehow managed to get Severus’ school robes off and was fumbling with the buttons.

This animalistic need between seemed needed and wanted, they both were flushed and in between kisses that covered each other’s exposed skin, somehow without realizing it, they both unclothed, completely naked in front of each other.

“Do you want this?” Severus said, Annette’s eyes were sparkling with heated passion, love, and burning with brightness from being a little drunk.

“Yes.” She whispered, her eyes had trailed down his body and she nervously trailed a finger along his hardened length, and her eyes widened just a little more when it twitched because of her touch and she heard Severus trying desperately not to moan.

Her cheeks were flushed and her heart was beating quickly, like a hummingbird’s. Severus had his hands on her breasts and was exploring the rest of her body, just as she was touching him. His body was lanky and pale. And he liked the feeling of her plump breasts underneath his own hands, and hearing the little moans that came from her mouth.

“With me?” the words came out with some effort, his precious Badger was now underneath him as he was straddled on top of her. He reached forward and pulled something out of the drawer of his nightstand.

“Yes.” Annette said, her fingers softly stroking his penis more. Her eyes fell on to the silver square package that Severus had gotten out of his nightstand drawer. “May I?”

“How do you…?” he handed it over to her, and she easily opened the package and then slowly rolled the condom on to his cock, after stroking it some more.

“Practice with bananas…my mum made me, it was quiet embarrassing.”

They took their time kissing and touching, learning each other’s bodies. Until they both felt ready, Severus then slid his cock inside her and at first she grimaced in pain, but after a couple of minutes it turned into pleasure. He continued to pleasure her until they were both spent, until they were shivering and sweating, gasping and gripping for breath.

“I can’t love you, Annette.” His voice was sleepy but also sad; his long and thin fingers were entangled in her copper brown hair as she rested her head on his bare chest.

“I know…” she replied in a whisper, the two words choked with tears that slowly slid down her cheeks like a warm summer rain. The hurt in her chest was worse than being trampled by a herd of Hippogriff. _I just wanted to see you smile, see you be happy. Just once…_

“I will not be able to love you in the same way, because in truth I love you so much more. Lily will leave me with is a dull ache, a pain because I have lost her friendship, and she doesn’t approve of me becoming a Death Eater…”

“Do you believe in Blood Purity?” Annette questioned.

“No, but I feel as if serving the Dark Lord, will give me a place to belong.” Severus replied choosing his words carefully.

Her face was now buried in the crook of his neck, her arms wrapped around his neck. Why had it taken him so damn long to realize that he was in love with her? Had it really taken Tobias practically standing on the welcome mat that greeted him at Death’s door for Severus to notice that Annette was one he was supposed to be with, and not with Lily Evans?

The Hufflepuff girl murmured something into the skin of his neck, her lips tickling his flesh, almost giving him goosebumps. A smile fluttered to spread across his lips as he asked her to repeat what she had said.

The badger lifted her face away from where it had been nestled and repeated, “I love you Severus. “I’ll support you then…but after this night, what does this make me? Us? A one-night stand, a summer fling?”

“No, I want to take you on an actual date. If that is alright with you, Annette?”

The Potions Protégé cleared his throat, desperate to change the subject now to something that he could actually comprehend, he would need to get Lucius’ advice about where to take Annette out on a first date that would not leave him broke.

“I would love to go on a date with you. Can we go see one of those moving pictures?”

Severus tried not to laugh. “You mean a film?”

“Yes, can we go see one in a Muggle movie theater?”

“Of course.” He answered and kissed her, she was his.

Being with Annette felt right, he felt happy and loved, and he would treat her proper. “I love you, Annette.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this with a saddened heart, my co-author and I had written a scene where Annette confronts Remus about not doing anything when Severus was being bullied by James and Sirius, it was a beautifully written scene that has been lost in the abyss. Perhaps, hopefully, one day we will re-write it and make a collection of One-shots with all of the "missing" scenes. Please leave a comment and a kudos, only one more chapter to go, I hope everyone is enjoying this story!  
> -little sloth


	40. Chapter 40

Voices that were hushed whimpers sounded like fog horns. The voices that were talking in normal levels sounded like trumpeting elephants. Her head felt like it was getting hit with a sledge hammer, keeping her eyes shut, she blindly searched on the floor for her over-the-shoulder bag, but only grasped the neck of the empty Fire Whiskey bottle that had been resting empty on the floor.

Groaning in annoyance and at her own stupidity Annette rolled over and found herself burying her face into the flesh of Severus’ back. “Make the world go away…” she whispered, her fingers now entwined in his limp onyx hair.

Her heart sped up just a little when it finally struck her, as if lightning had smite her, she was completely naked and when she peeked under the covers, her eyes grew wide and her cheeks burned pink when she saw that Severus was also nude. There were two used condoms on the floor, closed up like a water balloon full of water. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. They had had sex, Severus taken her virginity. At first it had been painful and then it became pleasure. And even though they had both been warmly drowned in Fire Whiskey, he had still asked her for permission, twice. And she had said yes, twice.

It had been wonderful. But now they were both suffering the consequences of soaking their feelings away with alcohol, she warily opened her eyes and found Severus ink-black ones looking at sleepily, his eyes slightly cloudy with hang over affects. He gently held her hand in his own.

“We had sex.”

Severus nodded a smirk playing on his face, laughter was starting to glint in his eyes. A spark of joy.

“I had sex with you…” She looked at him directly, “Was it awful?”

“For you or for me?” he asked, finding a t-shirt that she could borrow from his trunk. It was a little worn, but once the Badger put it on, he would no longer be distracted by her breasts, that were freely peeking out from the covers.

“For you?” she asked, grabbing the t-shirt as he tossed it to her and then almost squeaked in surprise when a pair of his pajama bottoms landed on her head.

“It was not awful, I enjoyed it.”

“G-Good, so did I.” She fumbled with the t-shirt and nearly put it on backwards, while he was already dressed in a pair of holey and faded jeans and a ragged t-shirt.

He leaned across his bed and kissed her long and lovingly on the mouth. “You make me so happy, Annette.”

The Hufflepuff smiled while her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. “I love you, Severus.”

“I love you too.” He replied, his voice still slightly husky with sleep.

“I-I should get back to my own House before Jenna sends her _Patronus_ to yell at me.” Annette said, bundling her uniform and school robes into her messenger bag. She pressed a kiss to his mouth and left the boys’ dorm in Slytherin House barefoot and with the hoot and hollers of Snape’s housemates behind her.

As the barrels shifted to reveal the Common Room of Hufflepuff House, Annette quickly casted a charm on herself to quiet the sound of her movements, especially her barefeet on the slightly chilled floor. It was barely six o‘clock in the morning and she was hoping that her housemates were still sound asleep.

She made her way into the girls’ dorm hallway and into the room that she shared. She quietly used the _unlocking spell_ on her trunk and gathered clothes of her own to wear, once she was out of the shower. Jeans, a long sleeve fern green tunic, the usual undergarments and toiletries and her favorite pair of sneakers. The Badger left her messenger bag by the foot of her bed and exited the dorm room and made her way down the hall to the girls’ loo and showers.

The showers had sliding glass doors with silver patterns of ferns decorating them. The heads that the water spouted from in the shape of a blossoming flower, the handles that adjusted the cold and hot water were silver and shaped like leaves from a plant. The flooring of both the showers and the room that housed them were made from stones to mock the look of a garden. Off to the right side of the showers was the lavatory and sinks.

Once the badger had discarded the borrowed clothes from Severus, she quickly stepped into the space that only had enough room for someone to stand.

Annette let out groan either from the massive pounding migraine due to being hungover or her muscles were stiff and achy from the wonderful tumbling/fast-switched position sex she had had with Severus. She let out a sigh of relief as the hot water rushed down on top of her in a waterfall-like manner. She scrubbed away the smell of love-making with body wash that smelled of lavender, she scrubbed her hair clean with mint and tea-tree leaf oil shampoo. She waited until the aches completely left her body before she turned the knobs to the off-position and the water trickled to a stop. She waved her wand over her body with a quick-dry spell muttered under her breath.

Dressed and with her hair braided back, Annette entered the lavatory with Severus’ pajama bottoms and t-shirt under her arm, along with her small travel-sized bag of toiletries. She set up her tooth brush and was about to start cleaning her teeth, when Jenna and Ennis entered. The Irish-born Half-Blood Witch’s curly fire-red hair was a frizzy mess that needed to be tamed, while Ennis still looked half-asleep. The Seeker and Captain of Hufflepuff had dark circles under her eyes and her white-blonde hair was up at all ends like a porcupine, with an uncovered yawn, Ennis leaned over one of the unoccupied porcelain sinks and splashed water on to her face. Jenna somehow managed to get her hair pulled back into a ponytail before she spoke to her best friend.

“Where were you last night?”

“With Severus.” Annette answered simply, beginning to brush her teeth.

“You didn’t come in until this morning…” Ennis pointed out, trying to scrub the remains of last night’s makeup off of her face.

Annette spat into the sink, before she wet her toothbrush again. “H-How did you know?”

“I was curled up on one of the Common sofas reading, _A Clockwork Orange._ You weren’t wearing your own clothes either.”

Jenna gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth, the words that came from her mouth were distorted. “You _slept_ with him…”

The Badger nodded and rinsed out her mouth, she tried to ignore their looks of shock.

“You spent the night with him…” Jenna said, her hands were now at her sides as she fumbled with her own makeup bag, trying to decide on what to wear that would match her choices.

“Not just that,” Ennis said, eyeing Annette like a detective would. “She is acting more mature…they had _sex_!”

“Y-You used protection right?!” Jenna said in an almost giggle-filled squeal.

“Yes, both times.” Annette replied, her cheeks burning crimson and felt as if she was sitting to close to a flaming hearth. This was why she had tried her best to be sneaky, but of course, she had been caught.

When she thought about it, Ennis was right about her feeling more grown-up. She defiantly felt like she had, like there was a weight that had been lifted. She no longer felt as if she was not beautiful or had to feel the need to fill other people’s aspects of her. She no longer felt as if she needed to live up to other peoples’ expectations. She had Severus, and she loved him. He was going to take her on her very first date to go see one of the Muggle moving pictures…no, wait, he had called it a movie or a film. The mysterious of sex and its over-fantasized, over-magical-sprinkled with pixie-dust image had been replaced with reality. Sex had been painful at first, and yes she had been so terribly nervous about Severus seeing her completely nude, but now…now, she loved it. She loved the way Severus felt inside of her, she loved how he touched her, and looked at her as if he was seeing perfection. And she loved being able to touch him, being able to talk to him without feeling as if she was walking through a field of landmines.

She glanced over at Jenna, her best friend was wearing a flowing dark brown down-to-the ankles skirt with a dark rose colored tank top and a meant-for-cool weather zip-up hoodie that matched the dark chocolate brown of the skirt, and she was also wearing sandals. Ennis on the other hand was wearing a mocha-colored sundress and Rome-inspired sandals, while she struggled with a comb and styling jell to tame her hair.

They had all grownup, they would all be leaving on separate internships over the summer and would probably only keep in touch through letters delivered by owls. Ennis would be going to Australia to practice with their country’s international Quidditch team, her cousin would be joining them at Hogwarts for her Sixth and Seventh Year. Jenna would be heading to Peru for a summer long stay at the Camp for Gifted Charm Casters, it would sort of like a Magical summer Camp with cabins and bunkbeds. Lately Jenna had been studying Spanish with an English-to-Spanish text she had purchased at the bookstore in Hogsmeade once she had found out that she had been accepted.

Jenna and Annette left the Ladies’ Lavatory, being book and uniform free, they decided to head down to the Black Lake to enjoy the breezes and to watch the Giant Squid wave his tentacles above the surface.

“So are you and Severus in a relationship now? Officially?”

“I think so, he wants to take me on a real first date to go see a Muggle movie.” Annette sat down on the beachy shore, hoping to catch a glimpse of a mermaid’s tail.

“When you disappeared last night…I went to the library to try to find you…and…” Jenna stopped speaking, her mind seeming to struggle with how to phrase the next part of what she about to tell her best friend.

Annette waited patiently, knowing full well that sooner or later, she would have to go track down Severus to talk with him, about well, everything. And she had a strong feeling that she knew where he would be.

“I found Remus Lupin. He was terribly nervous to speak to me, I guess he must be…smitten with me as well…he asked me out on a date.”

The Badger could not help the dark cold grasp of fear that yanked around her heart when Jenna said that the teenage boy Werewolf in Hogwarts uniform had asked her out a date. But she pushed her own fear aside and instead smiled as happily as she could without the Irish Half-Blood finding out the true fear that lingered in her best friend’s mind. “I am happy for you.”

“Will you help me pick out the right attire? He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him on Sunday morning for breakfast before the train pulls in to take us home.” Jenna’s voice was full of happiness and excitement when she spoke.

“Of course I will, and I am certain that Pandora will be able to help as well.” Annette answered, both Witches titled their heads back to see who was approaching them, the shuffling of their shoes giving them away.

It was Remus Lupin and for once he was alone, that was until Annette noticed Sirius Black lingering back in the shadows of the courtyard, probably there to encourage his Werewolf companion to be less shy and antisocial. Annette gently squeezed her best friend’s hand and righted herself. “I will leave you two alone to chat.”

She found her way down to drafty dungeons of Hogwarts and soon spotted Severus in the open pantry were all of the ingredients were kept for Potion crafting, but it was normally under lock and key. Seeing as Severus had permission to be in there and was re-arranging ingredients not only by alphabetical order but also by the expiration date that had been carefully added to the label, which meant Professor Slughorn had probably gotten behind on grading O.W.L.s.

Severus glanced over his shoulder, a soft smile reached his lips and met his coal-black eyes as he descended from the ladder, wand in hand. He tucked it into the back of pocket of his rather worn jeans and gently pressed a kiss to Annette’s cheek.

His hands gently cupped her face, and when tears sprang to her eyes and slid down her cheeks slowly, like rain against a window dripping downward, he held her close until she collected herself enough to speak, until she stopped shaking and silently sobbing.

“What is wrong? What has gotten you so disconcerted?”

“That _monster_ asked my best friend out on a breakfast date…” she sniffled, the Hufflepuff girl now felt the fear beginning to starting to gnaw at her. “H-He almost _killed you_ …w-what if he hurts her? What if he kills her?”

“He won’t. The full moon already formed this month. Jenna will be fine.” Severus replied placing a kiss on her forehead.

“Promise?” Annette whispered into his t-shirt.

“I promise.”

“I w-want to be your girlfriend…is that alright?”

“Do you want to be?” Severus asked, he was still holding her tightly, he loved that he could finally protect someone and that he knew what true love felt like.

“Yes, if you’ll have me?”

“Always.” Severus said and kissed her lovingly.

The sun rose warmly the next day to greet the muggy air that had already descended upon Hogwarts, it was the last day. Soon, they would be at the train station greeting their parents and trying to enjoy the summer before the grades of their O.W.L.s were delivered and their classes for Sixth Year were chosen.

Annette let out an exhausted sigh and finished arranging her clothes into neatly folded piles before she _packed_ them into her trunk with a wave of her wand. This morning she had awoken with Jenna at six o’clock to meet with Pandora in one of the Prefect lavatories to perfect her breakfast date ensemble with Remus Lupin.

Jenna left at seven o’clock on the dot with a nervous Werewolf in human form beside her. She had decided on wearing a peach layered summer dress with sandals, and a silver Celtic headband to hold back her bushel of kissed-by-fire curls. While Remus met her wearing khakis and white long-sleeved shirt with a navy blue pullover sweater vest and a slightly worn pair of men’s dress shoes. Remus was so nervous that he stumbled with his words and finally managed a “Hello” to Jenna before they left for the Three Broomsticks Inn for their breakfast.

Annette wanted to tell Pandora that the redhead Irish Half-Blood could possibly be in danger, but she couldn’t. She had sworn to the Headmaster that she would keep Remus Lupin’s secret and she would unless one of her best friends ended up in life-threatening danger.

The train was packed with students as Jenna, Pandora, and Annette tried to find an empty compartment while dragging their trunks behind them. Only Gilbert was having an easy time as he weaved and wove around his owner’s peers, Annette lost sight of him as he disappeared into an open compartment.

“Bertie!” Annette sighed and turned over shoulder to speak to Jenna and Pandora.

“Go on, darling. We’ll see you later.” Pandora said and waved, as she and Jenna struggled forward to find another less-crowded place to sit.

Annette ducked her head in to see who was in the compartment where Gilbert had come into, and found Severus, sitting with his back to the window, the fluffy onyx Half-Kneazle lying on his stomach as he struggled to read a rather a ragged copy of _Desperate Characters_ , it looked as if he was about four chapters in already.

Severus peered over the cat and smiled at her. “Are you going to join me or just stay in the doorway?”

Annette occupied the other seat and made herself comfortable, getting out _Watership Down_ , so she could continue reading it.

The train chugged into King’s Cross Station just as they both finished their books, Gilbert happily still snoozing on Severus’ stomach. Even with a very annoyed Gilbert glaring at her because he had be put back in carrier, the Slytherin and Hufflepuff left the train and Platform Nine and Three Quarters to meet Eileen Snape and Baxter Negrescu.

Severus wheeled his trunk behind him, and spotted his mother sitting on one of the benches with knitting needles in her hands, she seemed to be finishing crafting a sky blue blanket with pink butterflies. His eyes grew wide when he noticed the rather prominent bump that ballooned out when she stood up and embraced him awkwardly.

“Mum, you are…rather pregnant.” He said, very stunned at the moment.

“Congratulations!” Annette exclaimed, just as she saw her father approaching them. “Daddy!”

The tower of a Wizard picked up his youngest and only daughter in his arms and bear-hugged her, when he finally set her down she was afraid some of ribs might be bruised.

He raised an eyebrow when Annette hugged Severus and quickly, gently kissed the teenage Slytherin boy on the lips. “Nettie, is there something I should know?”

“Oh…right. Daddy, this is my boyfriend, Severus Snape. And this his mum, Eileen.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Sir.” Severus cleared his throat, now feeling rather nervous as he extended his hand, Baxter shook it with a soft smile on his face.

“It’s very nice finally getting to meet you, Severus. You’re looking well, Eileen.”

Eileen laughed at the shocked expressions on both of their child’s faces. “Same to you, Baxter. It has been awhile since our days at Hogwarts.”

Eileen Snape invited Annette and her parents over for dinner, she sat at kitchen table skimming through a recipe book trying to decide what to prepare. Tobias sat across from her with a rather bemused look on his face as their son ascended the stairs making his way toward his bedroom dragging his trunk behind him softly humming the song, _White Rabbit_.

“Our son has a girlfriend?” he parroted the question he asked five minutes before, slowly sipping the warm bowl of chicken broth. Liquids were the only type of nourishment that he could keep down lately, and the treatments made him feel horribly ill.

“Yes, she is a…she is the same as Severus as I, and so are her parents, so please be on your best behavior.”

“Can you _magic_ this broth into a beer?” he asked feeling as if alcohol would somehow calm him before they arrived.

He did not want to see anymore looks of pity or sadness, he hated being sick, he hated that he was dying so slowly. And now more freaks would be joining his family, he prayed silently that he would not live to see his son marry.

Eileen never did respond to him, instead she went up the stairs and gently knocked on Severus’ door. She opened it when she heard him reply. “You can come in, Mum.”

She sat at the end of the bed and laid on a hand on her rather large baby bump. “Are you angry?”

Severus sat up and embraced his mother. “Because you are having another child? I have no say in that, Mum. I am happy for you, shocked but nonetheless happy. I’m just glad that my little brother or sister…?”

“You’re sister.”

“That my little sister won’t have to live with the Monster that dared to call himself your husband and our father.”

Eileen kissed her son’s limp hair and left the bedroom. She left with her heart feeling heavy and filled to the brim with sorrow as she entered the kitchen and tried to focus on making a meal that would be to liking of both her family and Annette’s. She wished Severus did not hate his father, but she knew it could not be helped.

With bellies full of food Annette and Severus sat on the front steps of the Snape home, just enjoying each other’s company. Annette took a brown paper package tied up with string out of her small tote bag as she set it in Severus’ lap. “It’s for you.”

He opened the package and found his own reflection staring back at him.

“It’s a Two-Way Mirror, I have the other one. I bought them in a pawn shop on our way home…it’s so we can keep in touch over the summer.”

Severus kissed her right then and there. “I love you, Annette.”

Annette kissed him back. “I love you too, Severus.”

The summer before Sixth Year was going to be complicated one, but Severus knew that with Annette there for him, he would be able to survive it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the final chapter! The second story, Shedding One's Skin, will be posted on June 4th, 2018. I hope you have all enjoyed this story, and please leave a comment or a kudos! :)  
> -little sloth


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